bet365 becomes fourth major operator to leave the AGA
Table of contents
- bet365 has left the American Gaming Association, becoming the fourth major operator to exit the trade body since November 2025.
- The operator cited the AGA’s focus on the retail casino industry as its reason for leaving, though industry speculation centres on a potential pivot toward prediction markets.
- The exits of DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and now bet365 signal a deepening structural split between digital-first and land-based operators in the US.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) confirmed on March 24, 2026 that bet365 is no longer a member, making the UK-based sportsbook the latest major operator to leave the trade body.
The departure follows those of DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics, all of which left the AGA in late 2025 as they pivoted toward federally regulated prediction markets.
A bet365 spokesperson said:
“As a digital-first operator, bet365 has pulled back from the AGA due to the organization’s focus on the retail casino industry. We greatly value our industry partnerships and remain committed to working constructively with regulators and partners across the markets in which we operate.”
A pattern of departures
DraftKings and FanDuel resigned in November 2025, citing irreconcilable differences with the AGA over sports event contracts.
Fanatics followed in December 2025, shortly after becoming the first major sportsbook to launch a prediction market product. All three have since rolled out dedicated platforms: DraftKings Predictions, FanDuel Predicts, and Fanatics Markets.
FanDuel and DraftKings are now building prediction market products structured under a federal derivatives regime, where supervision comes from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association rather than state gaming boards.
The supplier exodus has reinforced the same trend. OpenBet and Sportradar both declined to renew their AGA memberships in January 2026, a move widely linked to their clients’ growing interest in prediction markets.
Under its new chairman, Lou Jacobs of Delaware North, who took over in January 2026, the AGA has made its direction clear: state and tribal gaming comes first.
The prediction markets question
bet365 has not filed with the National Futures Association for approval to offer prediction market products and does not currently operate a prediction or exchange platform in any of its live markets.
The company has limited land-based exposure in the US, running sportsbooks at a handful of retail casinos owned by others. It is live in at least 16 US states and in Ontario, Canada.
The operator’s digital-first profile places it in the same camp as the three operators that preceded it out of the AGA — all of which launched prediction platforms within weeks of their departures.
bet365 could enter the space via a technology provider agreement or an acquisition, though no such move has been announced.
AGA holds its line
The AGA has been unambiguous about where it stands.
A YouGov survey of more than 2,000 registered US voters, commissioned by the AGA and published in September 2025, found that 85% classify sports event contracts as gambling rather than a financial instrument, 80% want them regulated like online sports betting, and 65% say state and tribal regulators — not the CFTC — should have oversight.
Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO, said:
“This research has made it clear: Americans know a sports bet when they see one — and they expect prediction markets offering sports event contracts to be held to the same rules and consumer safeguards as every other state-regulated sportsbook.”
In a December 2025 membership letter, Miller added:
“Our position is clear and unwavering: sports event contracts are gambling, and gambling is regulated by states and tribes. In 2026, we will continue to defend this framework and uphold state authority and tribal sovereignty.”
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt has acknowledged the tension, describing it as a “conflict” for his company to remain in industry groups alongside operators offering sports event contracts.
BetMGM, a joint venture between MGM Resorts and Entain — both core AGA members — has not entered prediction markets, citing the risk to its land-based gaming licences. Multiple state regulators have already warned operators that entering the prediction market space could trigger a review of their existing approvals.
The AGA’s shrinking digital membership is unlikely to stabilise until the regulatory status of sports event contracts is settled through federal legislation, CFTC rulemaking, or the courts.
For bet365, which holds licences in at least 16 US states, any move into prediction markets will be closely scrutinised by the state regulators on whose continued approval its American business depends.
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