Bet365 Set To Launch PA Sports Betting, iGaming App As Soon As Friday


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PA sports betting

A long-anticipated opening could arrive as soon as today when bet365 finally launches in the Pennsylvania sports betting market.

The bet365 sports and casino app could be available in Pennsylvania “as early as this afternoon” once it concludes a soft-launch testing period, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That comes more than a year after it obtained a PA sports betting license and five years into the Keystone State‘s legal market.

“There is some more work to be done this morning by our staff to look at the testing results. If all is satisfied, there will likely be a go ahead as early as this afternoon,” a spokesperson with the PGCB told LSR in an email.

A representative with bet365 did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Keystone State key for bet365

Pennsylvania is the second-most populous state with sports betting, and it instantly becomes the app’s largest legal market. It joins New Jersey as one of just two states where the British gambling giant offers iGaming, which is typically more lucrative than sports betting.

Privately owned by the Coates family, bet365 accounts for more than a quarter of sports betting traffic in the UK, the world’s largest market. It boasts more than 90 million customers worldwide and continues to ramp up promotions as it launches in new states.

Starting line vs. starting later

In other states, the time between obtaining access and launching has been much shorter for bet365. But it is not unusual for it to enter a market later than competitors.

In Ohio, where it launched on day one of the legal market last year, bet365 accounted for roughly 7.5% of the state’s handle in May.

By comparison, in New Jersey, where it launched several years into the legal market, the app accounted for 4.5% of handle share in May.

Four states in half a year

Pennsylvania marks the third state launch for bet365 this year, following debuts in Indiana and North Carolina. Including Louisiana, it is the app’s fourth launch in seven months.

The timing is especially important as bet365 readies for football season, the busiest time of the year for NFL sportsbooks, and attempts to attract Philidelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers fans.

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