Bet365 Appoints New Media Buyer Amid Review of UK Operations

Bet365 has appointed a new UK media buying and planning agency, as the operator works out a new approach in the UK amid regulatory uncertainty and redundancies.

According to reports, Carat UK, owned by major global advertising agency Dentsu, will take over the account from Republic of Media, an independent agency which had worked on Bet365’s behalf in the UK since 2012. Republic of Media brokered an extension of Bet365’s sponsorship of Sky’s English Premier League coverage earlier this year, expanding its deal, which covers pre- and post-match coverage, from two to six packages.

Advertising strategy review

Bet365 reportedly spends about £44.5 million on media in the UK. Separate from its media buying deal, it has an advertising contract in place with Newcastle-based Drummond Central, which covers the UK and Europe. Bet365’s CRM activity is said to be managed in-house.

The change to a new media buyer follows a review of Bet365’s advertising position in the UK. In a recent advertising campaign called “We Know Betting”, Bet365 showed the evolution of its mobile offering, listing reasons why players continue to want to bet with the operator.

Aside from its sponsorship of Premier League coverage in the UK, Bet365 is a global sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, after becoming the first sports betting brand to sponsor the football competition in 2024. The deal runs for three seasons, and is set to conclude at the end of the current 2026/27 season.

Redundancies caused by UK issues

The review of its advertising strategy comes as Bet365 is attempting to navigate its way through a UK market which is becoming more difficult to navigate from a regulatory perspective. In April, remote gaming duty, paid on online casino bets, was raised from 21% of gross gambling yield (GGY) to 40%.

This will be compounded in April 2027, when general betting duty, paid on online sports bets, will be raised from 15% of GGY to 25%; bets on horseracing will be exempt from the increase. In September, Bet365 announced it is to cut 340 jobs, in part as a result of the increased taxation in the UK, making it the latest tier one operator in the market to reduce its workforce.

Where cuts will be made

Reports suggest the cuts will be made predominantly at Bet365’s headquarters, with 300 staff set to lose their jobs at the company’s Stoke-on-Trent office; the remaining 40 jobs will be cut in Gibraltar and Malta. Bet365 is the largest private sector employer in Stoke, with more than 5,000 of its staff being based there.

A Bet365 spokesperson was quoted as saying: "As an international business, we continually review and assess our operations to ensure the business' long-term future. We're currently facing a highly competitive trading environment, plus increased regulatory and tax-related costs.

"As a result we're restructuring some of our locations this year. Ultimately, this will result in a reduction of approximately 340 roles across our European hubs, which is the equivalent of around 3% of the workforce.”

Reductions in workforce and shop closures have become a common theme in the UK in the wake of the tax increases; there is also set to be an increase in machine games duty next April, from 20% of net takings to 25%. In September, Flutter Entertainment said 100 of its Paddy Power Shops are under review. Shop closures have also been announced by William Hill owner Evoke as well as Betfred in recent months.