Bet365 and BlueBet expand US presence with new launches
Indiana becomes the eighth US market for Bet365 while BlueBet and ClutchBet are active in three states across the US.
Bet365 launches in Indiana via a partnership with the French Lick Resort land-based casino. Players can register for a new Bet365 account and begin betting on a wide range of sports and competitions.
The operator is also active across Kentucky, Louisiana, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Iowa and Colorado.
“At Bet365 we don’t do ordinary and, as the home of the country’s first professional baseball game, ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ and a rich basketball history, neither does Indiana,” a Bet365 spokesperson said.
“New and eligible sports fans in the Hoosier State, renowned for their passion and loyalty, can enjoy the Bet365 experience featuring market leading offerings like amazing Bet Boosts, the fastest in-game product and unique same game parlays.”
BlueBet eyes further US growth
Meanwhile, BlueBet says its ClutchBet B2C brand has already taken its first bets in Louisiana.
ClutchBet, already live in Iowa and Colorado, launches in Louisiana in partnership with the Louisiana Downs casino and horseracing track.
“Going live in Louisiana, our third US state, caps off another strong 12 months for BlueBet, as we execute our ‘Capital Lite’ US market entry,” BlueBet CEO Bill Richmond said.
“As we land and expand in each new state, we continue to refine and enhance our approach, which is delivering faster growth and making us even more capital efficient. This is further enabled by our proprietary BlueBet Global Platform, which provides unique scalability and multi-jurisdictional capabilities.”
Richmond added that BlueBet continues to progress towards the second stage of its US market entry. This focuses on the launch of a white-labelled B2B sportsbook-as-a-solution offer, with discussions ongoing with multiple potential B2B partners.
“This launch brings us closer to completion of the first stage of our Capital Lite US market entry strategy, as discussions progress with multiple potential partners for our white labelled B2B sportsbook-as-a-solution offering,” Richmond said.
What is the situation in Indiana and Louisiana?
In going live in each state Bet365 and BlueBet join busy markets in Indiana and Louisiana respectively.
Indiana reported $50.6m (£39.9m/€46.7m) in adjusted gross revenue for December. This was a new monthly record for the Hoosier State, while handle fell just short of an all-time high at $503.1m.
Ameristar Casino and partner DraftKings are the current market leaders in Indiana. During December, the partnership generated $19.3m in revenue from $179.8m.
In second were Blue Chip Casino and FanDuel with $18.1m in revenue off a handle of $171.8m. Placing third was Belterra Casino, another FanDuel partner, with revenue of $3.8m and a $34.4m handle.
Indiana could also soon look to launch igaming, a service Bet365 offers in other markets. This month, an updated report found Indiana could generate as much as $2.1bn in igaming revenue over the first three years after legalisation.
Meanwhile, Louisiana posted record sports betting handle for the third consecutive month in December. The Pelican State also reported record monthly revenue.
Players in Louisiana wagered $377.0m on sports during December, with $344.9m bet online. Revenue reached $55.8m, including $51.3m from online betting.
Some nine other operators run online sportsbooks in Louisiana. These include ESPN Bet, Bet Rovers, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, Betway and Bet365. Incidentally, Bet365 was the last operator to launch before BlueBet, going live in November last year.