Starting March 27, Bet365 will no longer offer its services to users in China. The decision reflects a strategic shift as the company will focus on markets that offer sustainable, long-term growth. Furthermore, the announcement follows ongoing regulatory hurdles in the Asian country.
Exit date and account access
The news was published by Bet365 on its support account on X. In response to a customer, the company wrote: “Unfortunately, we will no longer be providing our services to customers residing in China.”
Although the deadline is March 27, affected users will still have access to their accounts until April 30. After this date, they must contact Bet365 directly to withdraw funds from the platform.
The company called the move “a business decision.”
“Bet365 continually analyses and evaluates the markets to which it offers its services. The group has decided to align its focus on its core competencies in its main markets, consolidating its resources to concentrate on gaining market share in regions that provide sustainable revenue in the long term.”
According to local reports, the company also plans to exit other markets, but has not confirmed which ones.
Legal Limits and Mirror Sites
Gambling is illegal in China. Only state-run lotteries operate legally. Macau and Hong Kong have more relaxed laws, but these do not apply to the mainland.
To reach users, some foreign operators rely on “mirror sites”. These are copies of betting sites with different domain names or IP addresses to avoid blocking. In 2022, Business Insider reported that Bet365 and its affiliates used 59 such sites in China.
At the time, Bet365 claimed that it did not believe the activity violated the law. The brand also said that China’s penalties had not changed its stance.
Bet365’s financial growth without regional data
In its latest financial report, Bet365 showed strong growth. For the 53 weeks ending March 31, 2024, revenue increased by 9% to €3.7 billion. This brought profits close to €400 million.
However, the report did not include a regional breakdown, in line with the brand’s positioning, a decision made by the group.
“A geographical breakdown of turnover was not given as, in the opinion of the directors, such disclosure would be severely detrimental to the interests of the group,” the statement said.
Bet365 operates in more than 150 countries and offers support in 22 languages. The company did not say how much of its revenue came from China.
Market size and future impact
Regulus Partners estimated in 2020 that direct-to-consumer online gambling in China was worth $15 billion in net revenue per year. The estimate excludes activity through bookmakers.
Bet365’s exit removes a major international brand from the space. It remains to be seen how this move will affect the company’s global presence.
