Bet365 is reportedly preparing to expand into France’s highly regulated online gambling market. While the company has not officially confirmed these plans, industry insiders suggest that it is making strategic moves in anticipation of entering the French market, potentially before the 2026 World Cup in North America. This move would mark a significant step in bet365’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence across Europe and the United States.
According to Gaming&Co, bet365 is considering the French market after years of focusing on other major regions. The company, headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent, currently operates in the UK, Italy, and Spain, as well as in 15 U.S. states including Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, and Ohio. Its recent expansion in the U.S. has yielded strong results, with a report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming highlighting that the three months ending June 30 represented bet365’s most profitable quarter in the country to date. During this period, its net gaming revenue share increased to 4% in Q2. Moving into France would represent a strategic shift for the privately owned operator, which only months ago withdrew from China to focus on core regulated markets. Industry analysts suggest that such a move could enhance bet365’s competitive positioning across Europe’s increasingly crowded sports betting landscape.
The French market presents both opportunities and challenges. France opened its online sports betting, poker, and horseracing sectors to regulation in 2010, but bet365 chose not to enter at that time. Since then, the market has experienced steady growth, with gross gaming revenue rising 3.5% year-over-year to €5.7 billion in the first half of 2025. The industry remains largely dominated by FDJ United, which holds a monopoly on retail sports betting and lotteries, and PMU, the primary operator in horseracing. Despite recent tax increases—raising online sports betting rates from 54.9% to 59.3% and increasing the advertising tax to 15%—bet365 appears to be financially equipped to absorb these additional costs.
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Financially, bet365 continues to demonstrate impressive strength. The company reported £3.7 billion in revenue and nearly £400 million in operating profit for the 53 weeks ending 31 March 2024. Such a solid financial footing positions bet365 well to challenge competitors like Betclic and Winamax should it proceed with its expansion plans. Industry experts believe that entry into France could lead to increased competition and drive innovation within the country’s regulated sports betting market, ultimately benefiting consumers and the industry as a whole.
