DraftKings now accessible in Germany
Want to know about a new development for Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) fans in Germany? Well, DraftKings, a leading DFS company, has expanded their reach to include German customers with their new website at de.draftkings.com. While the site is currently in its beta phase, customers can already access some of the offerings, albeit with partially untranslated content. Recently, in January, DraftKings received the necessary license from the Maltese regulatory authority, which paved the way for this expansion.
DraftKings was established in 2012 and has since become one of the biggest players in the DFS market. Operating alongside its competitor, FanDuel, they now serve 95% of the US market. Known for their aggressive marketing, these companies are no strangers to high-profile media visibility, even outside of sports broadcasts. But there's a caveat: plans for a merger between DraftKings and FanDuel were announced at the end of 2016, but there's been little word about it since, which could be a sign of potential antitrust issues with the US authorities. So far, the two entities have continued to operate separately.
So, what does this mean for DraftKings in Europe? The company is obliged to acquire a license from an EU member state to operate there, and a standard gambling license wouldn't cut it for them. Given that online gambling is mostly prohibited in the U.S., it's not surprising that the recognition of DFS as a game of skill plays a pivotal role in this market. For the first time, the Malta Gaming Authority issued a Controlled Skill Games license to DraftKings. Under Maltese law, this means the game carries a higher skill component compared to chance.
A Little History on Fantasy Sports
Fantasy sports have been around for a while now, particularly in the US. They first emerged in the post-WWII era, when golf fans started forming local groups to create virtual teams featuring real-life pro players. The team with the lowest collective score won the next tournament. Eventually, baseball and football were added to the mix, and as the internet exploded in the 60s and 70s, more people started playing daily fantasy sports.
The premise of these games remains the same: participants act as team managers, using identical budgets to pick their virtual teams. These teams then compete against each other in contests. DraftKings offers a wide variety of sports ranging from popular football leagues (like the NFL and NBA) to martial arts and eSports. Your team's strength is determined by the real-life performance of athletes in competitions. Understanding the sport and accurately evaluating statistics is what makes DFS challenging.
The game modes are similar to those of poker tournaments. In these, participants buy-in and the money collected forms both the prize pool for the winners and the rake, or fees paid to the organizer (DraftKings). Head-to-head matches, where two players go against each other, are another popular option.
Will It Catch on in Germany?
German sports fans have several options when it comes to fantasy sports. Sites like Comunio, kicker.de, and the German Bundesliga Fantasy Manager already offer similar platforms. However, these primarily focus on seasonal competitions between friends, rather than the fast-paced, real-money games that are popular at DraftKings. With their flashy marketing style, the Americans might get initial traction in the German market, but it remains to be seen if the DFS business model will be as successful as it is in the US.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
