The Coates family, including Bet365 founder Denise Coates, has moved up four places in the latest edition of the Sunday Times Rich List. This annual list ranks the wealthiest individuals and families in the UK based on their net worth. In the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List, Denise, along with her father Peter and brother John, secured the 16th spot with a total wealth of £9.45 billion ($12.60 billion).
For the Coates family, this year’s ranking represents a climb from the 20th position they held in 2024. Additionally, they had previously held the 16th spot in both the 2022 and 2023 editions of the list.
Anthony Bamford, the founder of JCB, narrowly surpassed the Coates family to claim the 15th position on the list. Following closely behind the Bet365 founders were Carrie and François Perrodo, whose wealth stems from the oil industry.
Betfred and PokerStars Owners Advance
The 2025 Sunday Times Rich List also featured other entrepreneurs in the gaming sector who, like the Coates family, saw an increase in their rankings. Ian and Richard Livingstone, who have a stake in Evolution, were the next highest-ranking figures from the industry, securing the 34th spot with a wealth of £5.73 billion, down from 28th in 2024.
Mark Scheinberg, the creator of PokerStars, moved up from 41st to 38th place with a total wealth of £5.08 billion. Meanwhile, Fred and Peter Done, the founders of Betfred, advanced from 76th to 57th place with a wealth of £2.92 billion.
Among other notable inclusions were Michael Tabor, the owner of BetVictor, who held the 199th spot with £800 million, and Ruth Parasol, the founder of PartyGaming, who came in at 203rd with £780 million. Tony Bloom and Will Roseff, who are also associated with Bet365, secured the 213th and 254th positions with fortunes of £721 million and £579 million, respectively.
Is Bet365 Up for Sale?
The publication of this year’s Rich List coincides with ongoing speculations about the future of Bet365.
Recent reports suggest that Bet365 is contemplating a potential sale that could yield a windfall of £9 billion for the Coates family. According to the Guardian, informal discussions about selling, conducting an IPO, or executing a partial sale of the company have taken place internally.
It has been reported that Bet365 has engaged with US advisers and Wall Street banks in recent weeks. One option under consideration involves selling a portion of the business to a private equity firm while allowing the Coates family to retain a stake. Another possibility is a potential listing on the US stock exchange.
Industry experts have weighed in on the potential sale, with some noting that the valuation appears modest compared to listed peers like DraftKings. Denise Coates founded Bet365 in 2001 by leveraging £15 million against her family’s betting shop estate to establish the online brand.
