Sports Betting Alliance Adds UK Gaming Giant Bet365 as Latest Member

The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) has welcomed international betting powerhouse Bet365 as its latest member. The addition of a fifth member will significantly bolster the lobbying group which seeks favorable market conditions for US sportsbooks.

Bet365’s SBA Membership Reflects Its US Growth

As the SBA’s latest member, Bet365 will join BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel’s efforts to promote regulations that suit the industry’s needs. SBA’s president, Jeremy Kudon, welcomed Bet365 on board and reiterated the organization’s commitment to championing the sports betting sector’s interests.

The addition of the UK-based company to the SBA reflects its growing US presence, which was recently reinforced by launches in additional states. Despite its historic focus on Europe, Bet365 has experienced rapid growth in America and is currently available in 13 states.

Bet365’s most recent launches included Tennessee and Illinois, with the operator also planning a foray into Missouri later this year. With all of this pointing to further Bet365 growth in the US, its SBA membership makes absolute sense.

However, it should be mentioned that Bet365’s strategy could change if the recent sale rumors turn out to be correct.

SBA Wages War on Taxes

In the meantime, the SBA continues to oppose the tax increases multiple states have been considering, arguing that they would hurt the regulated sector. For context, multiple states have launched bills aiming to raise their respective taxes on betting, to the industry’s dismay.

Several states so far have succeeded in adopting such measures, with some of the latest to do so including Illinois and Maryland. Louisiana is likewise on the verge of raising its tax, with a bill seeking such change just having received approval by the Senate.

The addition of Bet365 to the SBA reflects not only the company’s US growth but also the importance of creating a united front amid continued regulatory pressures and challenges from gray and black-market operators.

SBA members have long asserted the idea that raising the betting tax would hurt legal companies, inhibiting their capacity to promote their products and therefore making them less competitive despite the growth of the black market. While some operators are considering adding extra charges to offset the losses, this could potentially alienate players and push them to the much more dangerous black market.

The SBA was a firm opponent of Illinois’ recent tax hike which is set to have a disproportionate negative effect on DraftKings and FanDuel, the two biggest operators in the state.