Bet365 testing its entry to the US online sportsbook market in New Jersey

Bet365 struck an agreement with Hard Rock Atlantic City and began a testing phase last Thursday. The state of New Jersey requires online sportsbooks to partner with land-based, licensed sportsbooks.

“The new bet365 site is going through a pre-live phase and is only available during certain time periods. It is now available to register for an account within the US, however to engage in wagering you must be physically located in the state of New Jersey,” said the company on Twitter last week, in a reply to one of its users regarding the New Jersey website.

The launch would be in time for NFL season kickoff next month, and it marks the first US entry for the UK bookmaker.

The New Jersey online sports betting now includes 16 sites. Bet365 is the second of three skins operating under the Hard Rock Atlantic City license. The other is the self-branded platform from Gaming Innovation Group, which launched in late January.

The new bet365 site is going through a pre-live phase and is only available during certain time periods. It is now available to register for an account within the US, however to engage in wagering you must be physically located in the state of New Jersey.

— bet365 (@bet365) August 22, 2019

The US-facing website for Bet365 takes to a mobile-optimized landing page, that can be accessed on the phone or tablet. It immediately offers the option to download an iOS-compatible app. A direct download for Android is available when accessing the same mobile site on an Android device.

In July 2018, Bet365 struck a deal with the newly-opened Hard Rock Atlantic City casino in the state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement issued a letter approving a request by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Bet365 Group Ltd to enter into an agreement to conduct a sports wagering related business.