FanDuel Prepares to Take Its Games to Europe
Sergio Aguero of Manchester City scores the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on August 16, 2015, in Manchester, U.K.
Photographer: Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesDaily fantasy sports are coming to the U.K., but not even the companies offering it quite know what that will mean. FanDuel has applied for a gambling license in the U.K, as first reported by the website LegalSportsReport. DraftKings already has a license to operate in the country, as does Mondogoal, a smaller daily fantasy sports company focused on soccer. The license would allow FanDuel to start offering fantasy games outside the U.S. for the first time.
Nigel Eccles, the chief executive officer of FanDuel, says he is aiming to launch a product in the U.K. some time in 2016. Eccles described his company’s international expansion as an experiment. “I think it’s an interesting proposition,” he 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."