Betfred is joining a lengthening list of online sportsbooks to shut down US operations, as it plans to depart Pennsylvania by the end of the month.
Pennsylvania marks the final US state in which Betfred will do business.
The UK-based sportsbook previously pulled its digital sportsbook from Iowa, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia, and closed retail betting shops in Nevada (Mohegan Sportsbook at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas) and Washington (Silver Reef Casino Resort).
Wind Creek Bethlehem casino, Betfred’s market access partner in Pennsylvania, posted on its website (via SBC Americas), “Wind Creek and Betfred will be closing online sports betting operations in Pennsylvania as of July 31, 2025.”
An FAQ page that users are prompted to visit notes Wind Creek stopped accepting sports wagers as of July 3 and that pending wagers, transaction history and early cash-out options remain available until Thursday, July 31. Players will be mailed a check for winning bets that settle after that date.
Market share tough to come by
Betfred’s plight is a familiar one, as sportsbook operators outside a handful of dominant competitors are having a difficult time carving out meaningful market share.
In Pennsylvania, Betfred/Wind Creek earned just $748,062 in sports betting revenue in 2024, ranking 15th and representing a tiny fraction of the $510.7 million in total sports betting across the state, per the Gaming Control Board.
As in most states, the Pennsylvania market is dominated by FanDuel, which partners with Valley Forge Casino Resort ($272.1 million in 2024 sports betting revenue), and DraftKings, linked up with Hollywood Casino at The Meadows ($132.2 million in 2024, some of which is accounted for by ESPNBet’s retail operation). That’s over 79% of the pie.
Sportsbooks leaving US in droves
The US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA in 2018 was a siren’s song to sportsbooks. But while operators rushed into the market, they seem to be bailing nearly as quickly.
Here’s a not necessarily comprehensive list of operators who have come and gone from the US:
- In February 2022, Churchill Downs Inc. announced it was closing its TwinSpires sports betting platform, which was available in eight states.
- After being acquired by the company in May 2022, the Golden Nugget sportsbook app was wound down by DraftKings.
- PointsBet left the market after selling its US assets to Fanatics in June 2023.
- In July 2023, PlayUp ceased operations in New Jersey and Colorado, the two states in which it was live.
- Fox Bet closed in August 2023.
- Barstool Sportsbook bowed out in November 2023, when ESPN took over Penn Entertainment’s sportsbook operations.
- Spring 2024 marked the end of Unibet’s US endeavor
- Also last year, Super Group pulled its Betway brand from US.
- In July 2024, SuperBook, a legendary Las Vegas operator, ended its endeavor in eight states outside of Nevada.
- Around that same time, Tipico was acquired by BetMGM subsidiary Leo Vegas, and it was shut down shortly after that.
