Stoke City Football Club has undergone a structural change and is now owned outright by John Coates following a demerger of the club implemented by bet365.
Stoke City Holdings Limited – which holds a 98.1% stake in Stoke City Football Club Ltd and owns Stoke City (Property) Limited in its entirety – has officially been demerged from the bet365 group.
Under the new ownership model, both the stadium and Stoke City’s Clayton Wood training ground are now fully owned by the second-tier club. The club also outlined that the transaction has cleared its debts, something bet365 has assisted with in the past.
“My family and I remain steadfast in our commitment to Stoke City, so it’s very much business as usual,” Coates commented.
“Infrastructure projects at the stadium and our training facility will continue during the coming years at pace, and Potters’ supporters can rest assured that investment in the playing squad will continue to be maximised within our competition rules.”
The amendment to the ownership model has been implemented for licensing reasons by the group, having been identified as ‘the best, most sustainable way for bet365 to continue its global expansion’ and for the club to continue to enjoy the long-term support of the Coates family.
Coates continued: “Everything we do is geared towards bringing long-term success to Stoke City and representing our fanbase and local community in a way that makes people proud.”
The club’s Board of Directors will continue to comprise John Coates, Richard Smith and Peter Coates, Stoke City explained.
bet365 has a long-standing connection with Stoke City due to the club being one of the two local teams – and the most successful – in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where bet365 was founded and remains headquartered to this day.
The club’s partnership with Stoke has included stadium naming rights and a shirt sponsorship deal. The team’s jerseys feature the bookmaker’s logo on the front, and the club’s 30,000-seat stadium is named the bet365 Stadium.
There is no indication that the change in ownership has anything to do with recent regulatory changes affecting the relationship between betting operators and football clubs in English football.
The most notable change is the recent introduction of a Code of Conduct governing commercial arrangements between the two sides.
Another significant change will come into effect after the 2026/27 season in the Premier League, phasing out front-of-shirt sponsorships, although as an EFL Championship side Stoke City will not be affected – unless the team can secure promotion in the next two years.