For British casino users, the names of Labrokes and Coral are hugely popular. Whether it is sportsbook betting, online casino gaming, or a mixture of the two, many Britons use both platforms on a regular basis. Both companies, though, fall under the umbrella of Entain. The company is one of the biggest in the industry by a considerable margin, and they are seen as a leading figure within the UK online casino gaming and betting scene.
However, they might be falling under new ownership entirely in the future.
At the moment, Entain is subject of a bid of around £16.4bn to push through a deal to take over both companies. This might seem like an incredible fee, but British expertise within the casino and gaming industry has long been seen as a premium value.
The British hold some of the biggest expertise and historical knowledge of the market, which makes them a great partner for most companies in the niche.
As such, the bid that has come in from DraftKings, the US fantasy sports giant, could be a game-changer. Clearly, the company is looking for support to help it captured and improve the US online betting market.
With the US market relatively new thanks to sports betting laws recently changed, there is a genuine interest in what happens next. American experts are believed to see the British expertise as the ideal starting point for educating themselves on how to best build the market.
The Supreme Court decision in 2018 to remove long-held sports betting bans has seen America turn to a ‘new gold rush’ of online betting opportunity. However, to ensure the service is as successful as possible, potentially billions could be invested to bring in the expertise from British names.
Is US gambling a big enough market?
It might seem odd, though, to see that Britain brings in around $2.5bn in online sports betting; in America, this is around $1.8bn. However, with legality changing and more and more states getting involved, it is highly likely that sports betting will become absolutely massive in America. In some states, this will also include online casino gaming.
The early days of the US betting sector, then, needs guidance and support. From how to best run the platform to retaining customers, there is a huge number of key factors that, clearly, American investors are seeking insight and advice on.
This could be a major change, then, for the entire UK and US online casino and betting scene. As both markets overlap with the investment coming in via DraftKings, it could see a major shift. Before long, we could see cross-continental online casino gaming options appearing as the US and UK markets move closer than ever.
British expertise has long been a valuable investment for companies looking to expand their betting industry. With the British now likely to be involved in shaping the future of American sports betting and casino gaming, expect those figures in the sale to soon prove to be a very wise investment.