Daily fantasy sports operator DraftDay has announced it will power the new Australian DFS joint venture of CrownBet and Fox Sports Australia.
Two weeks ago, Aussie media reported of an imminent DFS joint venture involving CrownBet, the online gambling division of Aussie casino operator Crown Resorts, and the local division of Fox Sports. On Thursday, DraftDay Gaming Group announced that it would provide the technology platform for this JV, which will operate under the Draftstars brand at Draftstars.com.au.
Draftstars will initially offer Australian Football League fantasy contests, with National Rugby League and NBA contests promised shortly. CrownBet (formerly known as BetEasy) is the AFL’s official wagering partner and Draftstars will be similarly recognized as the AFL’s official DFS partner, allowing it access to exclusive match content and the other usual perks of such arrangements.
CrownBet CEO Matthew Tripp said the Northern Territory-licensed Draftstars site was getting an early launch to coincide with the AFL season kickoff and to allow fans the chance to take the site for a spin and see what they think.
The Australian adventure represents DraftDay’s first international expansion but CEO Rich Roberts promised that further international tie-ups are in the pipeline.
TOPBETTA BOLSTERS POOL BETTING OPERATIONS
In other Aussie DFS news, local race and sports betting operator TopBetta Holdings announced a deal to acquire a stake in wagering technology company Modern Wagering Systems (MWS). The deal will see TopBetta pay $250k for a 12.5% stake in MWS, with an option to increase its stake in the future. In exchange, TopBetta becomes the exclusive wholesale distributor of MWS’s pool betting product.
TopBetta, which became the first Australian fantasy operator to be listed on the Australian stock exchange last December, announced a deal in February with Fairfax Media to promote TopBett’s daily and weekly fantasy tournaments.
