Bet365 soft-launches New Jersey betting site
US users now directed to New Jersey site and those in the state can register for an account
Bet365 has soft-launched its New Jersey betting and casino sites today marking the Stoke-headquartered operator’s entry into the US market.
The operator announced via Twitter this morning that the new site was going through a pre-live phase and users were able to register for an account in the US but had to be physically located in New Jersey to wager.
One US user said they had previously used the bet365 site in the US to check scores but is now being redirected to a New Jersey homepage and could no longer view results.
Bet365 said the site was currently only available during certain time periods.
Welcome to the show, Bet365 in NJ!
I hate to start with a criticism, but this new user promo of $100 is not going to cut it. You're a year late to the party and market share is already entrenched.
You need to make a splash or you're going to be a flash. pic.twitter.com/Usy8Jy6Woj
— Captain Jack Andrews (@capjack2000) August 22, 2019
At the beginning of August, RotoGrinders New Jersey users were offered the chance to trial the bet365 product as part of its soft-launch.
The operator does not yet have an app available in the state.
The NJ site offers football, basketball, baseball, hockey, European soccer, tennis, MMA among other sports, although it only offers live betting on baseball, soccer, tennis, cricket and golf currently.
Its casino site is also up and running with an Android app already available to players and an iOS app in the works.
Bet365 is the largest online gambling firm in the world, according to the EGR Power 50 rankings, with betting and gaming revenues of £2.72bn for the year to March 25, 2018.
In an opinion piece for EGR this week, consultant Chris Welch noted: “The company has seamlessly moved to become a star of regulated markets, holding leadership positions in Italy, Spain and a host of others.”
The operator gets 77% of its revenue via in-play betting and is widely regarded as having the best product in the sports betting sector.
In April it partnered with Australian payments provider EML Payments to develop a branded card to smooth the payments journey for New Jersey customers.
The card, which was expected to go live mid-2019, will allow customers to withdraw funds from cashpoints and retail outlets, with gambling transactions still blocked by certain banks and processors in New Jersey.
Bet365 also secured a 19,000 square foot office in Evesham Township, New Jersey, last year.
It hired former AGA senior director Will Green as head of development in the US, to oversee market-access and betting policy development.