Bet365: Sale or IPO? Signs of one of the biggest deals in gambling history

Bet365 is undoubtedly one of the best-known gambling providers around. This very company, which serves tens of markets on every continent with more than 4,000 employees and generates an annual turnover of around 3 billion, could be sold in the foreseeable future. The price is said to be an incredible 9 billion pounds. An IPO is also on the cards. In any case, the deal, if it comes to fruition, is likely to be one of the biggest business deals in gaming history. Industry insiders are speculating wildly and the underlying figures are astronomical.

Hardly any other name is as well-known in the world of gambling as bet365. However, the company is currently attracting a lot of attention in a different way than usual. It was all triggered by an article published by The Guardian on May 1. According to the British daily newspaper, there is information suggesting that the billion-strong Coats family with founder and boss Denise Coats, who is behind the gambling giant, is seriously considering a sale or going public.

In fact, bet365 has already held initial talks with Wall Street banks and US advisors in recent weeks, according to The Guardian.

• The talks are said to have been about exploring the possibility of a complete or partial sale. One option would involve a private equity investor taking a stake, while the Coates family would retain shares.
• Another possible scenario: a partial spin-off of the company, followed by an IPO at a later date. Industry experts speak of a "beauty parade" - a process of sounding out banks that could get the most out of such a deal.
• The potential proceeds for Denise Coates, who holds a 58% majority stake in bet365, would be over £5 billion - a staggering sum.
• The same applies to the targeted sale price: the consulting agency Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) has valued bet365 at up to 12 billion dollars, i.e. around 9 billion British pounds.

There has been no official statement from bet365 to date.

The debate is simmering - and industry insiders already see clear indications of a drastic change in the Group's business. All the facts and speculation can be found here. The events also provide a good opportunity to take a closer look at the interesting history of bet365 and Denise Coats.

All set for a new start? Insiders suspect a strategic plan

Bet365's latest moves leave industry insiders in no doubt: something is brewing. In March, the gambling giant announced its withdrawal from China. The move was initially surprising. After all, the country had long been considered a lucrative, albeit risky, market despite legal gray areas. Bet365 is now increasingly focusing on regulated regions with great potential such as the USA or Brazil - which some observers interpret as a clear signal.

► For Ed Birkin from H2 Gambling Capital, the latest decisions point to a fundamental change in strategy. If there had been talk of a possible sale or IPO a year ago, many would have been surprised. However, Birkin now speaks of "obvious indications" that are fueling speculation.

► "When bet365 announced that they were pulling out of China, it initially looked like a pure compliance move," said Birkin in the international trade press. But with the transfer of Stoke City Football Club to John Coates, the brother of company founder Denise Coates, the whole story took a new turn. It almost seemed like bet365 was cleaning house properly before something big happened.

► Paul Leyland, director of the consultancy firm Regulus Partners, also sees the latest development as a possible harbinger of a massive restructuring. In his opinion, the planned entry into the US market could not only be an opportunity for Denise Coates to scale the business, but also to turn its own shares into lucrative dollars.

► "[The US] is not a cheap market that is easy to crack. It may require more funding for them to aggressively pursue the opportunities presented," said Alun Bowden, an ECG analyst. An IPO could make the company even more competitive. Now is also a very good time for Denise Coats to consider her exit options, he said, as she turns 60 in two years (and may be thinking about retirement).

Where the journey will actually take her remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the next few weeks are likely to be exciting.

From parking lot office to billion-dollar empire: a success story with courage, brains and regional ties

The story of bet365 reads like a business fairy tale: From an unassuming office container in a parking lot in Stoke-on-Trent emerged one of the largest gambling companies in the world. Denise Coates, the founder and mastermind behind the brand, recognized the potential of the internet early on and invested everything in the development of an online platform - literally. With a £15 million loan and the courage to digitize, she laid the foundations in 2000 for an empire that now generates around £3 billion in revenue every year.

But bet365 is more than just a financial success. The Coates family has made it their mission to make their home city of Stoke not only an international gambling hotspot, but also a better place to live and work. The company has created over 12,000 jobs here, both directly and indirectly, in a city that was once characterized by the decline of British industry. For Jeff Nash, owner of the Potbank office and restaurant complex, bet365 is "a real boon for the region" because it gives young talent a reason to stay.

And Denise Coates herself? The multi-billionaire always remains down-to-earth - at least in her public stance. Although she lives on a £90 million estate in Cheshire, which looks more like a luxury hotel than a family home, she shuns the limelight. She prefers to leave her mark through generous donations, for example via the Denise Coates Foundation, which has distributed more than 752 million pounds to charitable projects to date: from educational initiatives to supporting local artists.

Nevertheless, Coates remains a mystery. She does not give interviews, does not allow cameras into her life and rarely appears in public. For industry experts such as Alun Bowden, she is a kind of "mythical figure" who revolutionized the English gambling industry to a certain extent with her vision and assertiveness. At the same time, she put her home region of Stoke on the world map.

Source of the image: Screenshot from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/02/the-ultimate-gambler-how-denise-coates-became-britains-richest-woman

Central text sources: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/01/family-owners-of-bet365-weigh-up-potential-9bn-sale-of-gambling-empire, https://igamingbusiness.com/finance/bet365-reportedly-considering-sale/, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/02/the-ultimate-gambler-how-denise-coates-became-britains-richest-woman