DraftKings launches in the UK
5 Feb 2016
The North American phenomenon has paid out over one billion dollars in cash prizes since its launch in 2012 and has attracted just over six million registered users to date. Players can engage in matchday games in addition to their traditional season-long challenges with instant rewards.
DraftKings is unlike any other fantasy sports platform in that it is free to register and offers contests in 11 major sports including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, NBA, NFL, NHL, Major League Soccer, UFC, golf, NASCAR and eSports.
"DraftKings will bring a totally new experience for sports fans, offering players the opportunity to test their skill at fantasy contests with the immediacy of daily play," said Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO of DraftKings. "Alongside our new partners Arsenal, Liverpool and Watford, our ambition is to bring players as close to the action as possible, with all the information they need to assemble the best teams."
With more than 200,000 players from the US and Canada having taken part in daily fantasy football contests across the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Major League Soccer, DraftKings is officially the biggest DFS football provider in the world and will offer some healthy competition between players in North America and the U.K. With the help of the DraftKings FC site, players have access to all the research, strategy and news they need to assemble their line-up.
As part of the U.K. expansion, DraftKings have established an office in central London, led by Chief International Officer Jeffrey Haas.
"There is a massive appetite for daily fantasy sports in the U.K.," Haas said. "They are a nation of avid and knowledgeable sports fans with a well-established network of players. Daily fantasy sports is an evolution of the much loved season-long tournaments for a time-constrained generation that want instant bragging rights. Quick, fun and skilled, it adds another layer of entertainment to the matchday ritual."