Gaming heavyweight bet365 pushes into the United States this month with a force seemingly matched by headwinds it faces overseas that caused layoffs Tuesday.
Shortly after recent launches in West Virginia and Washington D.C., UK-based bet365 confirmed hundreds of layoffs affecting a reported 340 employees. Most of the people losing jobs work in England, with additional layoffs taking place in Gibraltar and Malta.
SBC Americas requested comment from bet365, which provided a statement to Racing Post that reads in part: “As an international business, we continually review and assess our operations to ensure the business’ long-term future. We’re currently facing a highly competitive trading environment, plus increased regulatory and tax-related costs.
“As a result we’re restructuring some of our locations this year. Ultimately, this will result in a reduction of approximately 340 roles across our European hubs, which is the equivalent of around three per cent of the workforce.”
The bet365 layoffs add to a list of UK-facing redundancies enacted after the country nearly doubled remote gaming taxes to 40% from 21% in April. According to the Betting and Gaming Council, nearly 4,500 jobs have been cut in the wake of the taxation change.
A raise to 25% from 15% on betting taxes hits in April 2027.
International bet365 layoffs hit as US ramp continues
The statement also detailed the a voluntary buyout program will precede the bet365 layoffs, hopefully reducing the total job loss. According to its most current disclosures, bet365 employed 10,056 people globally in the 12-month period ending March 2025, an increase of 911 positions over the same period in 2024.
A privately held company, bet365 details its financials once per year to UK regulators in a strategic report. Its most recent filing lays out a strategy long on US investment.
“A key focus of this period was the strategic allocation of resources to facilitate launches in new markets and navigate regulatory amendments in existing territories. This investment resulted in the Group’s operating entities being granted licenses in Brazil, Peru, Serbia and several additional US states. We continued to expand our footprint in both North and South America, including the establishment and subsequently, post períod end, the purchase of a new office in Denver, Colorado,” the report reads in part.
bet365 US push a long time coming
That Denver headquarters foreshadowed this year’s full-speed entry into more US states. It also ended years of speculation about when one of the largest gaming brands in the world would truly test the nascent American market.
In a fireside chat at SBC Summit Americas in June, bet365 CMO Stephanie De Flora elaborated on the company’s strategy for carving space in a crowded US field.
“bet365 entered the U.S. market with the advantage of a long-established global product and operational foundation, but we also understood early on that success in North America would require more than replicating a UK model,” De Flora said.
The company launched a campaign entitled “Winning Is Everything” focused on appealing specifically to American bettors.
The West Virginia and Washington D.C. launches bring bet365 up to 19 U.S. jurisdictions with a combination of online sports betting and iGaming (where available).
