Company Profile of bet365
Even though it caters to a diverse group of international sports bettors with offerings such as soccer, rugby, cricket and even darts, bet365 -- located in the UK - has plenty to offer players in the U.S. In fact, bettors would be hard pressed to find a book that offers such a wide array of wagering options on American sports, according to John Coates, CEO.
Potential customers who visit the company's Web site may be thrown off by all of the European sports listed on the left navigation bar. Coates wants to make it clear, however, that bet365 is one of the top books in the world for American Sports.
"Obviously, we are an international book - we take business from 120 different countries and the U.S. would not be our largest market - so the site reflects that," he said. "But what it certainly doesn't mean is that the American sports are not covered in great detail. We offer an enormous amount of bets on American sports. We have as many or more bets than (our competitors)."
Not only does bet365 offer the standard 'sides' and 'totals' options, but they also have first and second-half betting, quarter betting and a plethora of player and team propositions. In addition, the book offers In-Running betting which allows players to wager during the course of the game. With In-Running betting a customer could log into the Web site in the fourth quarter of an NFL game and place bets on the outcome of that quarter.
"The action doesn't stop when the game starts, it continues on throughout the game," said Coates. "As long as we can get TV pictures, our company policy is that we will bet it. It's great and the customers love it. And, obviously, people will be getting very opinionated lines because there is nobody (else in the industry) to compare them to. It's our view of how the game is going against (the customer's view). It's great fun."
New customers to bet365 will receive a FREE $15 In-Running bet in addition to their 15 percent signup bonus. Even though the company's initial bonus is competitive with anyone in the industry, Coates said that he wants to give each customer a chance to try In-Running wagering. The option is quickly becoming a hit with bettors across the world.
Even with its generous signup bonus and free In-Running wager, bet365 doesn't stop there. They also offer incredible incentives on parlays in all sports. Bettors playing three or more teams on a parlay will receive extra cash bonuses on all winning tickets. For winning parlays of over 12 or more teams, bettors can receive up to 50 percent in bonuses.
bet365 maintains a large oddsmaking staff all year around. While many books that cater to mostly American customers experience a 'down' period in between the NBA and NFL seasons, bet365 is busy 365 days a year (hence the company name). During the slow months for most Nevada and offshore sports books, bet365 is experiencing its busiest period since soccer and UK horse racing are in full swing.
The company is the telephone/Internet division of bet365 Group Limited, which operates 60 land-based betting shops in the UK (they are very similar to Las Vegas sports books although the betting options are geared towards the European sports) and has been in business since 1974. And just like the sports books in Nevada, bet365 had to undergo rigorous scrutiny by the government in order to receive the mandatory operating permits and licenses. The industry is highly regulated in the UK.
bet365 takes in more than 400,000 bets each week of the year from more than 120 countries around the world. In fact, its Web site is available in eight different languages. The company employs almost 700 individuals and it operates out of a 30,000 square foot office in Stoke on Trent. bet365 is one of the biggest companies of its kind in the UK and, therefore, the entire world.
"To me, the big winners in the international market will be the (companies), generally, which also have land-based operations," said Coates. "People like that security of feeling that they are betting with somebody who has a lot of experience but also land-based solidity. Clearly, we have been at it longer than everybody else. We have a solid regulated regime so it is not subject to the whims of changing governments. It's a first-world jurisdiction and the government's stated intention is to make the UK the center of world gaming."
Even though bet365 is one of the busiest sports books in the world, they don't cut any corners when it comes to customer service. Telephone clerks are available 24 hours each day to ensure your wagering experience goes as smoothly as possible.
At bet365 the minimum deposit to open an account is $50. Try bet365 today and see for yourself why the company is one of the biggest in the best on the planet. Visit bet365 now.