BetFair

Why BetFair stands out

bet365 was founded in 2000 in a portable building[9] in Stoke-On-Trent by Denise Coates. Denise developed a sports betting platform and trading team to launch the business online in March 2001. The business borrowed £15 million from Royal Bank of Scotland against the family's betting shop estate which had been started by Peter Coates in 1974 and had been run by Denise Coates as managing director from 1995. bet365 sold its betting shop chain in 2005 for £40 million to Coral and paid off its loan to RBS.[12] bet365 chairman Peter Coates was also the chairman at Stoke City and in May 2012 bet365 signed a three-year contract with the club to become shirt sponsors.[13] In April 2016, the company became the new title sponsors for the club's stadium for the next six seasons, replacing fellow local enterprise the Britannia Building Society.[14] In the summer of 2016, bet365 also signed shirt sponsorship deals with Bulgarian clubs Ludogorets Razgrad and Slavia Sofia for the upcoming two seasons.[15][failed verification] In the summer of 2019, the largest UK bookmakers and online casino operators William Hill, GVC Holdings, Flutter Entertainment, Stars Group and bet365 entered into an agreement to transfer funds to combat gambling addiction. They agreed to increase the amount from 0.1% to 1% of gross income in the next five years. The initiative was welcomed by a harm reduction group, but also received criticism for its perceived inadequacy; one MP described it as "a bribe to appease campaigners and the UK government".[16] bet365's reported figures for the 2020 financial year showed revenues of £2.8 billion and a profit of £470 million before tax.[17] In the 2024 fiscal year, Coates' betting corporation recorded revenues of £4 billion, with pre-tax profits of £349 million.[18] Denise Coates had received at least £280 million in salaries and dividends in 2025, making her the highest-paid woman in Britain.[18] Denise continues to run Bet365 and is the majority shareholder with 50.1% of the shares. Her brother John, co-chief executive, runs the business alongside her, with their father Peter serving as chairman. Combined, the Coates family's fortune was estimated at £9.44 billion in March 2025, making them the 16th richest in the UK.[19]