Denise Coates

Despite being worth more than $7bn, Denise Coates has managed to stay out of the limelight as the CEO of bet365. 

Coates managed to turn her father's modest chain of betting shops in Stoke-on-Trent into the online betting giant by having the foresight to see where the industry was heading in the early 2000s. 

High risk, high reward 

Coates does not hail from a privileged background. Born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, she spent the summers working as a cashier in one of her father's betting shops. The business was a sideline to his main football stadium catering operation. 

However, after graduating with a first-class in econometrics and a brief stint in accounting, Coates asked to take on the challenge of growing the gaming side of her father's business portfolio. 

At only 22 years old, Coates managed to acquire a neighbouring chain and double the size of the business. However, her ambition wasn't quenched and, around the year 2000, she set her sights on taking the business online. 

At the time, online gambling was in its infancy. Coates recognised the growth potential of allowing players to place bets at any time on any day and bought the domain bet365.com for $25,000.  

Coates' biggest gamble, however, was taking out a £15m ($19.8m) loan, putting her family's betting shops up as collateral. She used that money to go all in on online betting and by 2005 sold off all physical properties for £40m.  

Since then, bet365 expanded to casino games and slot machines and, by 2012, was bringing in £648m in revenue. In the same year, Coates was awarded a CBE for her services to the community and business.  

In fact, bet365 still operates out of Stoke-on-Trent, directly and indirectly supporting around 12,000 jobs in the city. 

An unusual billionaire 

As many billionaires find clever ways to avoid paying a fair share in taxes, Coates consistently ranks at the top of UK taxpayers. In 2025, the Sunday Times reported she had paid £227.1m. 

However, Coates' commitment to her area goes beyond. In 2016, she partnered with the Stoke-on-Trent council to pay off maths graduates' tuition fees to persuade them to become teachers in the city. 

Moreover, in 2006, the Coates family bought the local football club, Stoke City FC, for £1.7m. With the new influx of cash, the football team managed to reach the Premiere League in 2008, where it remained until relegation in 2018. 

In an interview with the Guardian, the only one she has ever done, Coates was asked why she remained in Stoke-on-Trent when most of her competitors are based in lower tax jurisdictions. Her answer was simple: "The area means a lot to us. We've always worked in Stoke, we've always had business in Stoke. I would never want to spend large parts of my time abroad if I can avoid it." 

Coates lives in a 52-acre estate in Cheshire. Her massive property, which angered many local residents during construction, features a lake, boathouse, tennis courts, horse stables and an Olympic size pool. Designed by renowned architect, Norman Foster, the family home cost nearly £90m and took almost five years to build. 

24-hour businesswoman 

Despite enjoying the fruits of her labour today, Coates shared how the early days of bet365 were anything but glamorous.  

"You start a 24/7 business and you work 24/7," she explained in the interview. "When you're not here [in the office], you take calls in the middle of the night, regularly – that's how the early days were. I've worked harder than you can possibly imagine. In the last couple of years, life has normalised … The impact on my life now is very different." 

Despite her impressive wealth, Coates lives as far away from the public eye as she can. Speaking about her decision to not give many interviews, she said: "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." 

Unlike other bookmaking CEOs, Coates does not like frequenting big sporting events either. "I'm not a regular at the races. I'm a regular in the workplace," she stated.  

In 2022, recognising her achievements in shaping the industry and her dedication to responsible gaming awareness, Coates was awarded Executive of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards.  

Coates isn't the only one winning at the awards show, bet365 has won Online Sports Betting Operator of the Year and Affiliate Programme of the Year consecutively since 2018. In total, bet365 has taken home 16 Global Gaming Awards. 

Although Coates remains shrouded in some-what of a layer of mystery, her work at bet365 speaks louder than words. In September 2026, bet365 launched its sportsbook in Washington DC Marking the 19th US market the company has entered and expanding its expansion in North America.