UK-based bet365 is continuing to aggressively expand in the US as it launches in Michigan, the bookmaker’s 17th US state – and an 18th launch may soon be in the bag.
The Staffordshire-founded and based multinational announced the Michigan launch at 9am Eastern Time today (17 April), alongside a partnership with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
New Jersey was bet365’s first US state way back in 2019, a year after the Supreme Court repealed the federal PASPA legislation banning sports betting. This opened the door for states to begin launching their own multi-licence betting markets, with 41 active so far.
The British firm is a key European success story in the US, which, despite being a highly lucrative market, has not been too kind to the likes of Betfred, Betsson, Unibet, Betway and Tipico, which all tried and failed to crack the US with varying results.
bet365 stands out as one of the few firms of European heritage to have made a name for itself stateside. The other two obvious examples being Flutter Entertainment, as owner of FanDuel, and Entain as co-owner of BetMGM alongside joint venture partner MGM Resorts.
Marketing has strongly underpinned bet365’s US rollouts. This has included sports sponsorships, as seen in today’s launch in Michigan as well as in prior launches in states like Missouri, where the firm partnered with MLB’s St Louis Cardinals, and on a larger scale a recently penned US and Canada-wide deal with the UFC.
Bonusing also plays a role. Hitting the ground running in Michigan, bet365 has launched a ‘Bet $10, Get £365” promotion for sports bettors and a ‘get 1,000 free spins and up to $1,000 deposit match for casino players’, while also heavily emphasising its Early Payout and Prize Matcher products.
“We’re excited to bring bet365 to Michigan and introduce a better way to bet,” said Trip Stoddard, Head of Business Development at bet365. “This is a mature market with knowledgeable fans, and we’re confident our product stands apart.
“Features like our Early Payout offer, combined with our in-play experience and integrated casino, give players more ways to engage and more reasons to choose bet365.”
Is bet365 going all in on the US?
bet365’s stateside rollout comes amid a changing of dynamics in the US betting and gaming sector, which has exploded in customer popularity, revenue, and to an extent controversy since the PASPA repeal in 2018.
According to the latest American Gaming Association (AGA) figures, the US recorded $71.9bn in iGaming revenue in 2024, the fourth consecutive time the industry has beaten the prior year’s record.
This has, understandably, raised concerns about player protection and social responsibility across the country. These are concerns bet365 may have to address head on quite soon, as it appears the company is interested in launching in the northeastern state of Massachusetts.
Last Thursday (9 April), the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) unanimously voted to reopen sports betting licence applications after a request from bet365. Justin Stempeck, MGC Deputy General Counsel, revealed that the firm was interested in a Category 3 untethered licence.
“bet365 has engaged in conversations with staff for quite some time as to the appropriate process by which to make a request to the commission to reopen this particular process,” he told commissioners. “We advised that they should send a formal letter, which they did.”
The MGC is known for being a particularly critical regulator when it comes to licensing applications and general compliance. The state is also home to several lawmakers with a particularly critical view of the sector, such as the authors of SB 302, an act ‘addressing economic, health and social harms caused by sports betting’.
bet365 may find itself having to answer questions about safer gambling, player protection, and general business conduct, while its former activities in major Asian markets like China could come under scrutiny.
Lastly, another major elephant in the room to consider in the US is prediction markets. These platforms have exploded in popularity, particularly Kalshi and Polymarket, over the past few years, finding particular success in Texas and California – where sports betting is still illegal.
Some operators have got in on the hype, namely Fanatics, DraftKings and FanDuel (the latter owned by Irish-American giant Flutter Entertainment), in that order. All three of these firms withdrew from the American Gaming Association (AGA), which is known for its opposition to predictions, late last year.
In March 2026, bet365 became the fourth firm to exit the AGA, leading to speculation that it too could be considering a move into predictions.
This remains exactly that, speculation, however, as the firm remains a member of the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) along with the three other ex-AGA companies, and attributed its decision to the AGA’s historic focus on retail casino activity while bet365 is an online sportsbook-led brand.
“As a digital-first operator, bet365 has pulled back from the AGA due to the organization’s focus on the retail casino industry,” a bet365 statement read at the time.
“We greatly value our industry partnerships and remain committed to working constructively with regulators and partners across the markets in which we operate.”
