Maryland regulators granted bet365 a mobile sports betting license, setting up the book to launch sometime in the coming days.
- Maryland regulators granted bet365 a mobile sports betting license ahead of the NFL campaign.
- The launch will make Maryland bet365’s 15th U.S. state, joining a crowded market with 11 other books.
- Despite slower growth and lower ad spend, bet365 remains a steady competitor among top U.S. sportsbooks.
Promotional emails bet365 sent to customers ahead of Thursday’s meeting indicated the sportsbook expected to launch as early as Thursday afternoon. The company’s mobile apps, desktop website, and social media accounts made no mention of a Maryland launch as of 1 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Still, the license allows bet365 to take mobile bets well before next week’s season opener for the NFL, which is perennially the most wagered-upon sports league in America.
Company officials reaffirmed during Thursday’s licensing hearing that the company has no plans to open a retail book in the state, though Maryland allows in-person books at professional sports stadiums, casinos, and certain small businesses. bet365 does not operate or brand any retail books in the U.S., unlike many of its major competitors.
bet365 continues steady expansion
One of the biggest names in international online sports betting, U.K.-based bet365 has taken a more methodical state-by-state expansion approach in the U.S. Maryland will be the 15th state to feature a bet365 mobile sportsbook compared to more than 20 states apiece for U.S. market share leaders FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, BetMGM, and Caesars.
bet365 has launched well after the initial go-live date in all operating states. It has also spent significantly less on advertising, free bets, and other promotions than its major competitors.
Despite this later starts and lower spend, bet365 has maintained steady market share in operating states. It trails U.S. market-share leaders FanDuel and DraftKings in gross gaming revenue and handle but has still competed with better-known American-based brands including Caesars, BetMGM, and Fanatics.
@ButlerBets It looks like Bet365 is coming to Maryland on Thursday—about damn time. pic.twitter.com/tSGClr14dF
— Jerome Richards (@Rommie38) August 26, 2025
bet365’s first U.S. market was New Jersey, which was the highest-grossing sports betting state before January 2022 when neighboring New York started accepting legal bets. It’s second state launch was Colorado, where it now has its U.S. headquarters, in September 2022.
Between 2022 and 2024, bet365 launch in Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Indiana, Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
bet365’s next projected state launch is Dec. 1 in Missouri. It will be one of the few times bet365 has started taking bets on the same day as its competitors.
Leading up to the Missouri launch, bet365 has gone live this year in three of the state’s bordering neighbors: Tennessee, Illinois, and Kansas.
Maryland's betting options grow
bet365 joins a crowded field of competitors.
Maryland is one of the only legal U.S. sports betting jurisdictions to include most major national brands and multiple state-specific operators. bet365 will be the state’s 12th legal mobile book, one of the highest totals of the 39 states that have approved legal sportsbooks.
FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, BetMGM, and Caesars all operate mobile and retail books in the state. Smaller national players including Bally Bet, betPARX, BetRivers, and ESPN BET are also live.
The Old Line State also features Crab Sports Maryland as well as LetsBetMD sportsbooks, both of which are only available in the state. Maryland law allows up to 60 mobile sports betting licenses, the highest cap of any state, though it is highly unlikely it ever nears that cap.
Elected officials earlier this year increased sportsbooks' tax on gross gaming revenue from 15% to 20%, one of the higher rates in the country. Legal sportsbooks have accepted just over $15 billion in bets since legal mobile sports wagering began in November 2022, generating more than $1.7 billion in operator revenue and contributing nearly $185 million in state taxes.
