Sportingbet was founded by Mark Blandford, Executive Director, in 1998 and was listed on the LSE in January 2001. Sportingbet reached critical mass through a series of strategic acquisitions including Betmaker in May 2000, the Number One Betting Shop in March 2001, and SportingOdds in July 2002.

It has also shown strong organic growth in all of its operating regions. The acquisition of Paradisepoker.com in October 2004 positioned Sportingbet as a powerful force within the global gaming industry. This has been recognised over the last two years by eGaming Review's "Power 50" report which ranked Sportingbet as the most powerful global player in the industry.