Denise Coates

Denise Coates is the founder, majority shareholder, and joint CEO of Bet365. After buying the domain bet365.com in 2000 and launching the website in 2001, Coates became one of the most successful and prominent executives in the industry.

Career

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Bet365

2000 - present

Education

University of Sheffield

Econometrics

Major Achievements

Under Denise Coates’ leadership, Bet365 has become one of the most popular and successful UK online betting companies. Scooping multiple awards and recognition for her work, Denise has become the highest-paid female UK gambling executive, and was the highest-paid woman in the world in 2018. 

BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour named her one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK in 2013, whilst she was inducted into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame in 2019. 

In 2012, she set up the Bet365 Foundation, which she renamed the Denise Coates Foundation in 2016. The foundation donated more than £100 million to 20 UK charities, and £1 million to help families in Ukraine. 

Awards & Recognition

Denise Coates has received numerous awards from the UK online gambling industry and was recognized in the 2012 New Year’s Honors list. Her company, Bet365, has also received recognition.

• Denise Coates was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Prince Charles (now King Charles II) at Buckingham Palace in 2012.
• Bet365 was voted Online Sports Betting Operator of the Year at the 2023 Global Gaming Awards.
• Bet365 was named Bookmaker of the Year at the 2025 SBC Awards.
• Bet365 won the title of Operator of the Year at the 2010 eGaming Review Operator Awards.
• Bet365 occupies #3 in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 league table.
• Bet365 was voted Operator of the Year at the EGR Operator Awards in 2017.

Career Highlights

Denise Coates graduated from Sheffield University with a first-class honors degree in econometrics. And after working for her family-owned Provincial Racing bookmaking firm, she ascended to managing director in 1995, before selling the company to Coral. 

Denise took out a loan to purchase Bet365.com in 2000 and launched the online betting site in 2001. Her company grew rapidly and became one of the world’s largest online gambling companies, with revenues of around $2 billion.

In Their Own Words

Talking about her quiet and enigmatic persona, as well as her dedication to success and running the best possible business, Denise is quoted as saying:

I really don’t enjoy the attention. The public side does not come naturally to me… I’m not saying I’m a shrinking violet. I’m not. I’ve been bossy all my life. It’s just I very much enjoy actually running the business.

Frequently Asked Questions