One of the leading Daily Fantasy Sports sites FanDuel has announced aggressive plans to enter the United Kingdom market.
The company had already applied for a UK gambling license, lending further credence to the notion that what it does is gambling.
Both DraftKings and FanDuel have come under increasing scrutiny by state governments for operating a business model they deem could be a form of illegal gambling. But an online gambling prohibition act passed in 2006 explicitly carves out an exception for fantasy sports.
Nigel Eccles, the chief executive officer of FanDuel, says he is aiming to launch a product in the U.K. some time in 2016. Until now, FanDuel has only operated in the United States with a primary focus on NFL, NBA, Baseball, NHL and Golf.
. “I think it’s an interesting proposition,” Eccles said. “Candidly, we’re going to test the waters, but it’s an unknown. Everyone needs to prove that there is a market outside the U.S.”
A number of wagering firms based in Europe are looking to beat FanDuel to the punch however as they look to add a Daily Fantasy Sports product to their existing product line.
– Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com