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bet365 continues steady US expansion with mobile sports betting launch in Virginia
Ollie is an experienced writer covering everything from esports to regulatory developments in the USA. He loves obscure data points and the occasional lousy parlay on 20 tennis players which inevitably loses.
All posts by Ollie RingUpdated20 mins ago on April 25, 2024
UK headquartered online gambling behemoth Bet365 has continued its steady expansion in the United States of America with its mobile launch in Virginia.
Where else is bet365 live?
Virginia is the fourth state in which bet365 wil go live. The company has also launched in New Jersey, Colorado and Ohio.
The company withdrew its application for mobile gaming in the state of Massachusetts earlier this month. It was also one of the applicants for a New York mobile license however did not receive one.
The expansion is facilitated, per Virginia’s sports betting legislation, through a partnership with NFL’s Washington Commanders. The Washington Commanders play at FedEx Field which actually sits in the state of Maryland, although the Virginia regulators have acknowledged that the team’s corporate headquarters are in Virginia and so too are a percentage of the fans.
Ryan Moreland, Chief Partnership Officer of the Washington Commanders commented: “This is an exciting time for our fans – and all sports fans – in Virginia, and we are excited to partner with bet365 to engage our fans across multiple platforms.”
Part of the partnership will see bet365 use advertising inventory at the stadium, as well as have access to media integrations and marks usage.
Bet365’s approach to US expansion has split analyst opinion. Lack of first-mover advantage has led to slow uptake in the bet365 product across the states in which it has opened as the European bookmakers brand recognition is nowhere near the same across the pond.
What can you gamble on in Virginia?
Legalized online sports betting in Virginia has been around since April 2020. There are up to 19 sports betting licenses available, and bet365 became the 14th operator to go live.
With the absence of retail sports betting and retail casino betting in the state, online sports betting is currently the main vehicle for residents to wager. Commercial casinos were also authorized back in 2020 and a maximum of five will launch in the near to medium term future.
That begs the question, will we see legalized online casino gaming in Virginia soon? Only time will tell.
