The 4 European iGaming Brands Making Waves On the Other Side of the Pond

In recent years, the iGaming industry has experienced exponential growth, particularly in the North American market. This has been fueled in no small part by the expansion of European brands moving into the US sector.

At the time of writing, six U.S. states have already opted to legalize online casino gaming, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Delaware. Dozens more have legalized online sports wagering too, as individual states seek to generate more tax revenues by capitalizing on the popularity of the iGaming scene. Time will tell whether the US iGaming scene becomes as competitive as the one in the UK. Many American users would be surprised to have a look at a list of casino bonus offers on Oddschecker, which uncovers the dozens of licensed online casino operators approved by the UK Gambling Commission. These include a raft of deposit match promotions, as well as free spins on selected slots and, the most coveted bonus of all, no-deposit bonuses. A handful of these have already made their mark in the US iGaming market too.

Below, we’ll shine a spotlight on the European iGaming giants keen to seize the opportunity to establish their presence on the other side of the pond.

bet365

British iGaming brand, bet365, started out as an online sportsbook in the UK. It’s still headquartered in the Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent today, owned by the Coates family. It’s maintained its roots in the north-west of England despite branching out its services worldwide and into the US. It has secured a string of licenses to serve U.S. states, both in terms of online sports betting and online casino gaming.

At the time of writing, bet365 is available to play in New Jersey, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Indiana, Arizona, and North Carolina. It is a proud partner of America’s four original major league sports leagues – the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL – and also boasts a dedicated in-house team of US-based customer support agents. All of which underlines bet365’s commitment to thriving in the US market.

Betfred

Betfred launched Betfred Sportsbook, a US-based subsidiary of Betfred Group, another of the UK’s longest-standing betting operators. It has over 1,500 retail sports betting outlets in Britain, as well as a thriving online sportsbook and online casino. Its brand name has been synonymous with the British betting industry since 1967, masterminded by entrepreneur, Fred Done.

Today, the brand is live in ten US states, including Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. This covers both online and retail services. It’s also recently entered the South African iGaming market, as it seeks to take advantage of new emerging markets in Africa too.

Unibet

Unibet is one of the most established iGaming brands in mainland Europe. The Swedish brand is part of the Kindred Group, which has also made strides into the US iGaming market. In June 2019, Unibet went live in the Garden State of New Jersey, after securing a license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE).

Its online sportsbook is now live in five US states, including Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Arizona. However, its online casino services are only accessible to players residing in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

888casino

888casino falls under the 888 Holdings umbrella of iGaming brands, alongside the likes of Mr Green and William Hill. 888 Holdings acquired the non-US assets of William Hill in June 2022. 888casino was founded back in 1998 by brothers, Aaron and Avi Shaked. Originally branded Casino-on-Net, 888casino has grown into one of the leading pan-European iGaming brands.

As of today, 888casino is fully licensed and regulated in the US state of New Jersey. In fact, they’ve been in the Garden State since 2013, celebrating a decade of serving NJ-based players last year.

As the iGaming landscape continues to evolve stateside, European brands will continue to play an influential role in shaping the market, both from a gaming perspective and a regulatory perspective. Their experience in the latter should help to create safe and sustainable iGaming markets for Americans through the years to come.