British bookmaker Betfred has announced the closure of its online sportsbook in Pennsylvania, its last surviving offering in the United States.
The sports betting and online casino specialists had entered the market in Pennsylvania five years ago, partnering with Wind Creek Bethlehem.
It went live with its online sportsbook in December 2020, under the Wind Creek brand.
That existing service will be disabled on July 31 with Wind Creek Bethlehem promising to “ensure this process is handled securely, correctly and in accordance with all state regulations and guidelines.”
All pending wagers, customer transaction history and early cash-out options will remain available to users up to and including that date, with winnings processed in the usual way.
Any successful bets after that date will be settled by check.
Rise And Fall Of Betfred In The US
At its height, Betfred held legal sportsbooks in 10 US states including Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland and Ohio.
But in July 2024 the firm announced a net loss of $91.7 million, a sharp contrast to the $25.1 million profit in the previous period, year-on-year.
Late last year Betfred closed its online sportsbook in Iowa and also its land-based interests at Silver Reef Casino Resort in Washington.
That left just Nevada and Pennsylvania among its operating interests.
In 2023 Nevada had become the 10th state in which Betfred held a presence, with a sportsbook at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas through a partnership with Mohegan Sun.
But at the start of this year it became the ninth state that Betfred had subsequently departed.
Exodus of European operators from the US
The exit from Pennsylvania marks the end of Betfred’s interests in the US and adds their brand to a growing list of European operators who have already left the US online sports betting market.
They include Betway (under Super Group), Betsafe (under Betsson), evoke (formerly 888 Holdings), Tipico and Kindred Group.
Super Group dissolved its Betway brand in the US in July last year after an extensive internal review.
At one stage Betway had held wagering licenses in nine states but a $24 million loss for the US operation in Q1 2024 came on the back of Betway’s parent company posting $61 million fiscal year losses for the group in 2023.
Malta-based Tipico joined the online sports betting market in 2020 but eventually sold it US business operation to LeoVegas, a subsidiary of MGM Resorts, in 2024.
Betsson Group discontinued its B2C operation in the US in September 2024, having originally launched a Betsafe product in Colorado in partnership with Dostal Alley Casino.
Jim Munro is a betting industry and gambling expert who has been a national newspaper journalist for over 30 years, predominantly at The Sunday Times and The Sun, where he wrote a weekly soccer betting column. Jim also worked on the launch of Virgin Bet with Gamesys and was subsequently head of editorial at LiveScore, the sports media and betting group.
