DraftKings UK launches and player pools could be shared with North America

tKings has finally launched its daily fantasy sports (DFS) product in the UK, and it was hinted that player pools will be shared between UK and North American players.

The launch came later than initially expected, as the operator predicted it would be operating in the UK by the end of last year after acquiring the relevant licensing from the UK Gambling Commission in August.

A planned launch in October was pushed back to December and then again to the early months of this year.

The indication of player pooling came from DraftKings stating: “DraftKings is officially the biggest DFS football provider in the world and will offer some healthy competition between players in North America and the UK.”

DraftKings’ UK offering is currently only available via mobile on iOS and Android devices and the web product is reported to still be in development.

The launch was partially hinted by announcements earlier this week that DraftKings had agreed partnerships with Barclays Premier League football clubs Arsenal and Liverpool, while there were also reports that DraftKings had partnered with Watford.

Prior to that, it was announced in October that DraftKings would sponsor the NFL’s International Series, which in 2016 will include matches at Wembley and Twickenham stadiums in London.

DFS operator FanDuel is currently in the process of trying to gain a UK gambling licence.

It is estimated that there are 8.5 million season-long fantasy football players in the UK and DFS operator Mondogoal already operates in the country.