Colossus Bets
Colossus Bets is a London-based British betting company specialising in pools betting, syndicates and patented cash-out technology.
Last updated November 3, 2026
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Overview
Colossus Bets is a British bookmaker and betting-technology company headquartered in London. Founded by Bernard Marantelli and professional gambler Zeljko Ranogajec, the business launched in the United Kingdom in 2013 with a focus on football pools. Its proposition differs from that of a conventional fixed-odds bookmaker: customers participate in pools in which the value of returns can depend on the collective outcome of a defined set of sporting events and the number of winning selections. The company has also developed functionality intended to let customers realise value from a position before all events in a bet or pool have concluded. The brand initially concentrated on football but subsequently expanded its pool products to horse racing, greyhound racing, American football, ice hockey, basketball and darts. In 2017 it introduced Syndicates, allowing customers to combine stakes and share potential winnings. Horse-racing pools were introduced in the United Kingdom in July 2018. These products positioned Colossus Bets as both a consumer-facing betting brand and a business-to-business technology supplier capable of licensing its pools and related tools to established operators. Colossus Bets has integrated its pools into partner platforms, including Bet365, Betway Africa and Dafabet. Its intellectual-property portfolio has been an important part of its commercial strategy. The company holds United States patents associated with cash-out and pools-betting functionality and has pursued licensing arrangements as well as litigation against operators it alleged were using protected functionality without authorisation. In 2019, it agreed a long-term licensing arrangement giving Bet365 access to its United States cash-out patent portfolio. The same year, the Oregon Racing Commission granted the company a totalizator licence, supporting its ambitions in regulated pool betting. The company has also sought a role in the United Kingdom's racecourse betting infrastructure. In August 2017 it entered a partnership involving 54 British racecourses to supply betting pools. That arrangement was later cancelled after reporting in 2018 identified Ranogajec as the company's principal financial backer, using the alias John Wilson. The racecourses' consortium, known as Britbet, subsequently chose to work with The Tote instead. In September 2024, Colossus Bets again submitted a proposal to replace the Tote as the on-course pool betting provider at British racecourses, but the relevant racecourse groups ultimately agreed a later arrangement with the UK Tote Group. Leadership changed in October 2020, when co-founder Bernard Marantelli left his chief executive and director positions and moved into a consultancy role. David O'Reilly was appointed chief executive. In 2021, Colossus Bets entered an exclusive alliance with Esports Technologies, later renamed EBET. Under that agreement, Colossus Bets became a shareholder in the esports-betting company. EBET was subsequently delisted from Nasdaq in 2023 amid financial difficulties. Colossus Bets has been involved in significant patent disputes. In 2021 it brought proceedings against DraftKings in the United States and Tabcorp in Australia, alleging unauthorised use of its cash-out technology. A United States magistrate judge recommended in July 2022 that seven of eight patents at issue in the DraftKings dispute be upheld as valid while finding one invalid. Further proceedings continued through the United States patent system, including a rehearing referral in 2023 and a 2024 decision by a new Patent Trial and Appeal Board panel to revive a DraftKings challenge. The founders were also linked by 2025 reporting to a 2023 Texas Lottery operation in which a syndicate acquired nearly every possible number combination in a draw and won a jackpot with a reported lump-sum value of US$57.8 million. The episode was discussed alongside concerns about online lottery-ticket couriers and bulk ticket purchasing, developments that contributed to Texas legislation abolishing the Texas Lottery Commission and restricting bulk purchases. Colossus Bets also operates a social-impact initiative, Conscious Colossus, launched in 2019 to support organisations including Alive and Kicking, the Greyhound Trust and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust.
History
Colossus Bets was established in the United Kingdom in 2013 by Bernard Marantelli and Zeljko Ranogajec. The company entered the market with football pools, promoted with Michael Owen as brand ambassador. Rather than relying only on traditional fixed-odds wagering, Colossus Bets built its identity around pool-based betting and technology intended to support cash-out transactions before the conclusion of a betting position. The business expanded its event coverage beyond football to include horse racing, greyhound racing, American football, ice hockey, basketball and darts. In 2017 it launched Syndicates, a facility through which customers could share stakes and winnings. It also sought to develop a wider role in racing: horse-racing pools became available in the United Kingdom in July 2018, and the company entered a 2017 partnership involving 54 British racecourses to provide pool betting. The racecourse project was disrupted in 2018. Reporting revealed that Ranogajec was the principal backer of Colossus Bets and had used the alias John Wilson. Britbet, the consortium representing the 54 racecourses, cancelled its arrangement with Colossus Bets and subsequently moved toward The Tote. The episode placed the company's ownership and funding structure under scrutiny, although it did not end its broader technology and licensing activities. Colossus Bets developed a business-to-business model alongside its consumer products. Its pools were integrated into partner sites including Bet365, Betway Africa and Dafabet. In 2019, the company agreed a long-term licence giving Bet365 access to its United States cash-out patent portfolio. It also received a totalizator licence from the Oregon Racing Commission, reflecting an effort to operate within regulated pool-betting frameworks. The company has held United States patents concerning cash-out and pools-betting functionality, making intellectual property a central element of its commercial strategy. Leadership changed in October 2020. Marantelli left the chief executive and director positions but stayed involved as a consultant, while David O'Reilly became chief executive. In 2021, Colossus Bets entered an exclusive alliance with Esports Technologies, which later adopted the name EBET. The arrangement made Colossus Bets a shareholder in the esports-betting company. EBET was later delisted from Nasdaq in 2023 amid financial difficulties. Patent enforcement became another major part of the company's history. In 2021 Colossus Bets filed infringement proceedings against DraftKings in the United States and Tabcorp in Australia, alleging that the companies used its cash-out functionality without authorisation. In the DraftKings matter, a Delaware magistrate judge recommended in July 2022 that seven of eight relevant patents be upheld while finding one invalid. The dispute continued through patent-review proceedings: a DraftKings challenge was referred to a rehearing panel in 2023, and a new Patent Trial and Appeal Board panel revived the challenge in 2024 after finding that the original petition had been wrongly denied. Colossus Bets continued to pursue a role in British racecourse pool betting. In September 2024 it submitted a proposal to replace the Tote as the on-course provider to Arena Racing Company, the Jockey Club and large independent racecourses. The racecourses instead agreed a new deal with the UK Tote Group, scheduled to run from November 2025 through at least October 2030. In 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported on a 2023 Texas Lottery operation attributed to the company's founders. A syndicate connected with Marantelli and Ranogajec reportedly bought nearly every possible number combination in a draw and won a jackpot with a reported lump-sum value of US$57.8 million. The episode became part of a broader public and legislative debate about online lottery couriers and bulk purchases, contributing to Texas measures that abolished the Texas Lottery Commission and restricted bulk ticket buying. The company has also presented a social-responsibility dimension through Conscious Colossus, a charitable programme launched in 2019. The programme has supported organisations including Alive and Kicking, the Greyhound Trust and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust. Colossus Bets therefore combines pools betting, wagering software, intellectual-property licensing, partnerships with betting operators and involvement in regulated gambling infrastructure.
- 2021
Alliance with Esports Technologies
[1]Colossus Bets enters an exclusive alliance and becomes a shareholder in Esports Technologies.
- 2021
Patent litigation begins against DraftKings and Tabcorp
[1]The company files infringement proceedings concerning alleged unauthorised use of its cash-out technology.
- 2020
Chief executive transition
[1]David O'Reilly succeeds Bernard Marantelli as chief executive.
- 2019
Bet365 patent licence and Oregon totalizator licence
[1]Colossus Bets licenses its United States cash-out patent portfolio to Bet365 and receives a totalizator licence in Oregon.
- 2019
Conscious Colossus launches
[1]The charitable initiative begins supporting gambling education, animal welfare and community organisations.
- 2018
United Kingdom horse-racing pools launch
[1]Horse-racing pools are added to the company's United Kingdom offering.
- 2018
Britbet ends its arrangement with Colossus Bets
[1]The racecourse consortium cancels the relationship after reporting about the company's principal backer and later chooses The Tote.
- 2017
Syndicates are introduced
[1]The company launches a product allowing customers to combine stakes and share winnings.
- 2017
Partnership with 54 British racecourses
[1]Colossus Bets agrees to supply pool betting through a consortium of British racecourses.
- 2013
Company launches in the United Kingdom
[1]Colossus Bets begins operations with football pools and uses Michael Owen as brand ambassador.
Products and positioning
A specialist pools-betting and wagering-technology company that combines consumer betting products, syndication tools, regulated pool operations and intellectual-property licensing.
Sports pools betting · 2013
Colossus Pools
The company's core offering is a pool-betting format in which customers select outcomes across sporting events and participate in a shared pool. The original product focused on football, while later versions covered horse racing, greyhound racing, American football, ice hockey, basketball and darts. Colossus Bets has made the pools available through its own channels and through integrations with third-party betting operators.
Shared-stake betting · 2017
Syndicates
Introduced in 2017, Syndicates allows multiple users to participate collectively by sharing stakes and potential winnings. The product extends the pool-betting model into a collaborative format and is designed for customers who want exposure to larger selections or stakes without placing the entire amount individually.
Betting technology
Cash-out technology
Colossus Bets has developed patented functionality associated with cashing out a betting position before all events have concluded. The technology is used as part of the company's licensing and business-to-business strategy, including a long-term United States patent-portfolio licence granted to Bet365 in 2019.
B2B betting services
Licensed pools and totalizator services
The company supplies pools and related technology to partner platforms, including Bet365, Betway Africa and Dafabet. Its 2019 totalizator licence from the Oregon Racing Commission reflects its efforts to participate directly in regulated pool-betting infrastructure as well as to license software to existing operators.
Controversies
2025
Texas Lottery bulk-ticket operation
The Wall Street Journal reported that the founders organised a 2023 syndicate operation that purchased nearly every possible number combination in a Texas Lottery draw and won a jackpot. The episode was associated with wider controversy over online ticket couriers and bulk purchases.
2021
Colossus Bets sues DraftKings over cashout patents
Colossus Bets filed a patent infringement lawsuit against DraftKings in the US District Court for Delaware over patents related to a cashout feature. Colossus Bets alleges ongoing infringement and said it would seek increased damages for willful and deliberate infringement; the source does not report a court determination.
2018
Disclosure of principal backer and cancellation of Britbet arrangement
Reporting revealed that Zeljko Ranogajec was Colossus Bets' principal backer and had used the alias John Wilson. Britbet subsequently cancelled its arrangement with Colossus Bets and moved toward The Tote.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Conscious Colossus
United Kingdom
Conscious Colossus is a charitable programme supporting organisations including Alive and Kicking, the Greyhound Trust and the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust.
Outcome. The programme broadened the company's social-impact activity across community sport, animal welfare and gambling education.
- 2013Michael Owen brand ambassador programme
United Kingdom
At launch, Colossus Bets used former England footballer Michael Owen as a brand ambassador to promote its football-pools proposition.
Outcome. The programme established the brand's initial association with football pools.
Brand decisions
2024
Bid to become the British racecourse pool-betting providerStrategyBackground
Colossus Bets sought to re-enter the British racecourse pool-betting market after the earlier Britbet relationship had ended.
Action taken
The company submitted a proposal to Arena Racing Company, the Jockey Club and large independent racecourses to replace the Tote as their on-course pool-betting provider.
Aftermath
The racecourses instead agreed a new arrangement with the UK Tote Group for a term beginning in November 2025.
- UK Tote Group — The UK Tote Group secured the subsequent racecourse pool-betting arrangement.
2021
Pursue patent-infringement proceedingsOtherBackground
Colossus Bets alleged that DraftKings in the United States and Tabcorp in Australia were using its protected cash-out functionality without authorisation.
Action taken
The company filed patent-infringement proceedings in both jurisdictions.
Aftermath
The DraftKings dispute continued through United States court and patent-review proceedings, including a 2022 recommendation and later Patent Trial and Appeal Board actions.
- DraftKings — DraftKings challenged the relevant patent claims through United States patent-review proceedings.
- Tabcorp
2019
License the United States cash-out patent portfolio to Bet365StrategyBackground
Colossus Bets sought to commercialise its patented wagering functionality through relationships with established betting operators.
Action taken
The company entered a long-term licensing agreement giving Bet365 access to its United States cash-out patent portfolio.
Aftermath
The agreement strengthened Colossus Bets' business-to-business and intellectual-property licensing model.
Recent events
Reported
Colossus Bets sues DraftKings over cashout patents[4]
Colossus Bets filed a patent infringement lawsuit against DraftKings in the US District Court for Delaware over patents related to a cashout feature. Colossus Bets alleges ongoing infringement and said it would seek increased damages for willful and deliberate infringement; the source does not report a court determination.
Sources4 sources
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