John Coates

Early Life and Education

John Fitzgerald Coates was born in January 1970. He is the son of Peter Coates, the chairman of Stoke City F.C. and a director of Bet365. He attended Bristol University, where he studied law. Coates started his career as a lawyer.

Rise to Success

In 2001, after selling some of their father's betting shops, his sister, Denise Coates, convinced him to join her in launching Bet365. John and Denise Coates are co-CEOs of UK-based Bet365, an online gambling company. Bet365 was founded in 2000 by Peter and Denise Coates in Stoke-on-Trent, where the Coates family was born and raised. Bet365 has become one of the largest gambling sites in the world. The online bookmakers are now the biggest private-sector employers in Stoke, where the company is based.

Key Business Strategies

Bet365's focus on in-play betting has solidified their market-leading position. They were pioneers in this area. Bet365 has been innovating. In 2006, bet365 acquired US sport specialist bookmaker Bowman Sportsbook.

Philanthropy

John helped Denise set up the Bet365 Foundation in August 2012, which has donated millions to various charities. In 2024, the majority of the money given to the foundation, mostly by companies in the Bet365 group, has yet to be distributed. The John Coates Charitable Trust is a grant-making charitable trust, committed to offering financial assistance to UK-registered charities.