Bet365 to Exit China’s Market on March 27

Betting giant Bet365 will stop taking wagers from players in China starting March 27, according to Next.io. Chinese customers received official notice of the shutdown via email.

“Bet365 continually reviews and assesses the markets to which it offers its services,” a company spokesperson told Next.io. Based on that assessment, the bookmaker decided to refocus on core jurisdictions and prioritize markets offering stable, long-term returns. As a result, Bet365 will pull out of China along with several other regions.

Beyond shifting its focus, the decision also comes as Beijing ramps up pressure on companies serving Chinese bettors.

Regulators in countries where Bet365 operates legally have also raised concerns over the bookmaker’s presence in unregulated markets.

Industry analysts at Regulus Partners noted that China was Bet365’s last remaining “dark grey” market. With Brazil’s regulated betting market now live, nearly 90% of Bet365’s business is tied to fully legal jurisdictions. They also pointed out that China’s importance to the company has steadily declined over the past decade. Back in 2014, China accounted for around 20% of Bet365’s revenue. Today, that number is down to 5%.

Sports betting remains illegal in China, with the state-run sports lottery being the only legal option. Bet365 had previously justified its presence by pointing to the lack of explicit laws banning offshore operators from offering services to Chinese players remotely.

Earlier, we reported that China’s lottery sales hit $85.8 billion in 2024.