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Germany – DraftKings sets its sights on Germany with Maltese licence

By - 31 January 2017

Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings is looking to expand into Germany, having obtained a skill-based gaming license from the Malta Gaming Authority.

The company confirmed that the license ‘will enable the company to operate in additional European countries.’

Known as a Controlled Skill Games License, the Maltese licence can be used as a legal basis for operating in any country within the European Union.

DraftKings co-founder and CEO Jason Robins said: “We are excited to embark on this important phase of our international expansion. We are pleased that Malta has recognized the need for special licensing of daily fantasy sports and other skilled based games. The Malta Gaming Authority is an innovative organization and it is clear that they have put a lot of thought and rigor into this process.”
Joseph Cuschieri, Executive Chairman of the MGA said: “Malta’s intention to regulate digital skill games with a prize was first announced in December 2014 when the MGA published a consultation document. From then onwards, the MGA sought the input of various industry stakeholders and experts in order to develop a framework which facilitates the development of the sector, while ensuring adequate protection for players and fairness of the games.”

Jeffrey Haas, Chief International Officer for DraftKings added that there was a ‘tremendous market opportunity for DFS in Germany.’ He said the company would look to ‘prioritise markets where we can share liquidity’ adding that the Malta licence would ‘increase our addressable audience by at least 100 million people.’

Under this license DraftKings intends to begin offering DFS contests in Malta and other markets later in the first quarter of 2017.

DraftKings’ announcement comes nearly a year after it began successfully operating in the United Kingdom. With more than 7m registered players worldwide, DraftKings has experienced significant growth since its 2012 inception.

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