Iowans can now bet at one of the world’s largest sportsbooks as Bet365 Sportsbook has launched through a partnership with Casino Queen Marquette. Iowa is the fifth state where Bet365 now operates, alongside Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia.
The market is starting to get crowded. Bet365’s launch makes it the 19th online sportsbook in Iowa.
Bet365 was founded in 2000 in the United Kingdom and has become one of Europe’s most important online betting brands. Its US presence is quite small compared to the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM.
Unusually for a company its size, Bet365 is privately-owned. It has offices in Australia, Bulgaria, Gibraltar, and Malta and over 80 million users globally.
Bet365 initially took a measured approach to the US but appears to be changing gears. It entered the US in 2019 with a launch in New Jersey, where it operates Bet365 Online Casino as well as its sportsbook. It then took three years to add a second state, Colorado, in September 2022. The other three launches have all come in the first half of 2023: Ohio, Virginia, and now Iowa.
Having launched in Iowa, the company is now turning its eyes to additional US markets. The next stop may be Kentucky when that market opens in fall 2023.
What Should Iowans Expect From Bet365
Iowans will find many betting options, including:
- Same Game Parlays and Parlay Profit Boosts
- Bet Boosts
- Live In-Game props
- Cash Out and Edit Bets
- Live Streaming on over 780,000 events
Being an international company, Bet365 offers various sports, including cycling, table tennis, Australian football, and cricket. Also, Bet365 provides very competitive odds for popular international sports like soccer, F1, and tennis.
Bet $1, Get $365
To celebrate the launch, Bet365 is offering new Iowa customers $365 in bonus bets with a qualifying bet of at least $1. That’s almost double the standard $200 in bonus bets it offers in other states.
A minimum deposit of $10 is required to activate the offer, and the bet must include at least one selection at odds of -500 or greater. Other terms and conditions apply, such as playthrough requirements and time limits.
Bet365’s Future Expansion Plans Include Kentucky
Bet365 anticipates entering other states soon. One of its top priorities will be Kentucky.
Kentucky legalized sports betting on Mar. 30. The bill stipulated that the regulator must allow online sportsbooks to launch by Dec. 28.
That said, the actual launch date might come considerably sooner. On Jun. 1, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the state is pushing to have sports betting up and running by the start of the NFL season. The first game of the regular season will be on Sep. 7.
Bet365 is expected to be among the first sportsbooks live when the state launches.
Another state that Bet365 could enter soon is Pennsylvania. In January, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) announced it would shut down its TwinSpires Sportsbook as it did in MI and NJ. Then on Jan. 9, CDI announced a partnership with Bet365 for the vacant Presque Isle license. There is still no launch date for that plan, as the sportsbook has prioritized its launches in Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, and Kentucky.
It will have some catching up to do as a latecomer to the Pennsylvania market. However, it could get the ball rolling before the end of 2023.
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