In a major coup for the Australian sports betting industry, Australian-owned BetEasy have been named the AFL’s official betting partner.
The five-year deal is believed to be worth around $10 million per year, with BetEasy forced to hand over a pretty penny to beat off competition from overseas-owned operators Paddy Power, who own Sportsbet, and William Hill who acquired Sportingbet, Centrebet and Tom Waterhouse.
The TAB were the former partners, and were also in the running to extend their deal, but they couldn’t match the offer from BetEasy.
The recently rebranded BetEasy, under ownership of former Sportsbet owner, Matt Trip, is clearly trying to make a huge splash in the Australian sports betting scene with a number of huge promotions and bonus offers to attract new customers recently. However this long term deal with one of Australia’s largest sporting entities is a sure sign that BetEasy are the real deal.
“It shows we're very serious and we're here to stay and we're delighted to align ourselves with what we think is Australia's biggest sport," Tripp told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"We beat out some of the big European wagering firms and I think that is important to note. All our profits will stay here in Australia, so I hope punters will come to us for that reason."
You’ll soon notice BetEasy’s logos splashed around signage at AFL games and on the official AFL website.
BetEasy declined to pay for AFL matches to be streamed via its website, which the TAB undertook for part of the 2014 season. However BetEasy also gains first rights to negotiating separate sponsorship arrangements with AFL broadcasters Seven West Media and Foxtel. It is understood to be keen to negotiate a deal with Seven, giving it a free-to-air presence across Australia.
