The long-rumored tie-up between DraftKings and sportsbook betting know-how supplier SBTech is lastly occurring with a public itemizing the cherry on high.
The merger offers the mixed firm a number one sportsbook betting model in DraftKings and a know-how platform in SBTech. The deal ought to shut someday within the first half of the subsequent 12 months.
“I look ahead to constructing considerably upon our objectives of continuous our state-by-state rollout and creating essentially the most entertaining and interesting buyer experiences for sportsbook followers globally,” stated Jason Robins, DraftKings CEO.
This deal solely comes as a shock for those who missed the Authorized Sports activities Report‘s protection in June when a number of sources stated DraftKings was closing in on an SBTech acquisition.
Transaction particulars for DraftKings going public
DraftKings and SBTech are technically being acquired by Diamond Eagle Acquisition Company. It’s a special-purpose acquisition firm that’s already publicly listed on Nasdaq.
Diamond Eagle will, naturally, change its title to DraftKings as soon as the transaction closes. A brand new ticker image will even be used.
The mixed DraftKings is receiving USD 304 million in funding from institutional traders. The corporate could have a market cap of USD 3.3 billion with greater than USD 500 million in unrestricted money after the transaction.
DraftKings, SBTech mixture advantages
DraftKings outlined a few areas that present why merging with SBTech is smart within the investor presentation.
The larger firm offers DraftKings the flexibility to freely innovate merchandise with distinctive betting markets. SBTech’s danger administration instruments will result in higher odds and, due to this fact, extra income.
It additionally de-risks the operations of each corporation considerably. DraftKings’ income is nearly fully dependent on the US, whereas SBTech is extra European. Diversifying revenues means the corporate can take extra probabilities.
DraftKings additionally now does not depends on a third party for vital features. The corporate platform is at present supplied by Kambi.
Bringing that know-how in-house offers DraftKings extra management over how the platform performs and what precisely it will probably do. It additionally means preserving extra of its earnings.
DraftKings is getting larger in the sportsbook industry
That is additionally about casinos, which are a big income alternative by way of cross-selling from sportsbooks.
DraftKings thinks annual income might be anyplace from USD2.9 billion to USD4.7 billion, primarily based on sportsbook betting and iGaming income projections from the investor presentation.
DraftKings had 14% of New Jersey’s iGaming market share in September regardless of what it knew as little or no advertising spend. And almost all of its iGaming prospects (98%) have been cross-sold from different DraftKings merchandise.
DraftKings offers playing particulars
The investor presentation supplied a breakdown of online sportsbook income in New Jersey from September 2018 by way of this September.
- DraftKings took 37% of that income, or USD75 million. That’s simply behind FanDuel Sportsbook at 40% with USD81 million.
- William Hill is a distant third at 14% and USD28 million in income.
- PointsBet accounts for 4% of the market with USD9 million in income, DraftKings estimates. Fox Wager and bet365 each accounted for USD3 million, whereas Golden Nugget and BetMGM accounted for USD2 million.
The journey from startup to public firm for DraftKings
DraftKings going from fantasy sportsbook operator to publicly traded playing firm was by no means precisely destined to occur, though going public was all the time one of many desired endgames.
The corporate was based in 2011 as a competitor to early daily fantasy sportsbook mover FanDuel.
It rose shortly from a small startup in Boston to a significant participant within the burgeoning DFS area. In 2015, it raised USD300 million, a part of the large quantity of funding cash poured into the corporate over its historical past.
However, by the tip of that 12 months, authorized questions for the DFS trade began to make influence the enterprise, together with a battle in New York that will play out over the subsequent 12 months. Ultimately, DraftKings and FanDuel would get legal guidelines handed in about 20 states, however not earlier than the potential future progress of the trade, and the 2 corporations got here into query.
Then, DraftKings and FanDuel obtained the shot within the arm every wanted: the Supreme Courtroom determination permitting the enlargement of sportsbook betting past Nevada. DraftKings had been engaged on a sportsbook betting platform with Kambi for a couple of 12 months in preparation for that ruling.
That helped DraftKings be on the market shortly in Ontario, the primary new state to open up online betting. It shortly took (FanDuel was acquired in 2018 by Paddy Energy Betfair, now Flutter, and has become one of many early leaders within the US sportsbook betting enlargement.)
Since then, DraftKings and FanDuel have loved an enormous lead over different online betting manufacturers within the US.
Questions and solutions concerning the DraftKings deal
The deal creates many questions, a few of which have solutions and others don’t.
The place does this prolong the DraftKings model?
SBTech is a little bit of a powerhouse when taking a look at its greater than 50 companions in additional than 20 regulated jurisdictions:
- 15 European nations together with the UK, Eire, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
- Three Asian nations together with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
- 5 jurisdictions in North America together with Arkansas, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Mexico. SBTech additionally powers the Oregon Lottery’s Scoreboard cell sportsbook betting app.
Sensible cash additionally has DraftKings persevering to be a business-to-business supplier and never only a consumer-facing platform, with the addition of SBTech.That’s clearly dangerous information for Kambi, which prolonged and expanded its settlement with DraftKings in August. Kambi’s Stockholm-traded inventory fell greater than 30 % immediately.
What does this imply for DraftKings and Kambi?
That’s clearly dangerous information for Kambi, which prolonged and expanded its settlement with DraftKings in August. Kambi’s Stockholm-traded inventory fell greater than 30 % immediately on the information.
Kambi can be out of the combination, but not until SBTech is efficient. Right here’s Robins speaking concerning the deal, briefly mentioning the standing of Kambi:
What about BetAmerica and Churchill Downs?
This creates a little bit of uncertainty around Churchill Downs’ BetAmerica model.
SBTech supplies iGaming and sportsbook betting platforms to BetAmerica in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Mississippi. The model was additionally cleared to launch the subsequent week in Indiana.
The small print of the settlement isn’t public. However, SBTech was known as a long-term settlement when it was introduced in Might 2018.
Is DraftKings a very good inventory to purchase?
LSR is just not right here to offer you investing recommendation. Nonetheless, DraftKings and Robins emphasized within the presentation and the following investor name that it’s a “pure play” online gaming firm.
The alternatives to putting money into an organization centered on the US sportsbook betting and online gaming market — regardless of SBTech’s worldwide enterprise — are nearly nonexistent.
- Most corporations with main designs on the US market have substantial European and worldwide enterprises — like Flutter and William Hill.
- Bigger online casino corporations like MGM Resorts and Caesars Worldwide can be concerned closely with sportsbook betting and iGaming, however investments in these will include their land-based operations, the place most of their income is derived.
PointsBet is one of the few different so-called pure performs within the US.
So, whereas we’ll not make a worth judgment on the inventory, if you wish to have a monetary stake in the way forward for US sportsbook betting, DraftKings will match that invoice.