Multi-year partnership

Sports betting supplier Kambi Group plc has deepened its US footprint after inking a multi-year partnership to power gaming operator Affinity Interactive’s upcoming digital and retail sports betting platform, DRF Sports.

DRF Sports will launch with Kambi’s sportsbook online in Iowa before rolling out in other legal and regulated US states in 2022 and beyond.

Kambi shared news of its December 29 tie-up with Affinity via Twitter:

Paradise, Nevada-based Affinity owns and operates DRF Bets and Daily Racing Form, which extends editorial coverage to US horseracing and sports fans. Via the partnership, it gains access to multiple Kambi betting solutions, such as odds compiling, compliance provision, customer intelligence, and risk management.

Confidence amid competitive market

CEO and co-founder of Kambi, Kristian Nylén, said his firm was “thrilled” to be working with Affinity to bring its “leading software” to US sports enthusiasts. Nylén is bullish about the strength of his brand’s product and his firm’s experience in becoming a success in the highly competitive US sports betting market.

The CEO believes the fusion of Kambi’s technology, DRF Sports’ multimedia proficiency, and Affinity’s regional casino assets “makes for an enticing sports betting proposition.”

In a press release, Affinity’s chairman James Zenni said it was “an exciting time” for both his firm and the sports betting industry. The tie-up with Kambi, Zenni stated, will present Affinity with multiple opportunities to upon which to capitalize, while positioning both brands for mutual success. The chairman said the partnership represented “the first step in our strategy of rolling out the DRF Sports brand to online customers for sports betting and iGaming.”

Kambi on a US growth drive

As the year ends, Kambi can look back on a significantly productive 2021. In November, it was one of the two winning consortiums awarded nine online mobile licenses by the?New York State Gaming Commission.

saw revenue rise by 28% for the full year 2020 to a total of €92.3m ($108.3m)

Malta-headquartered Kambi has partnerships with operators across six continents, including Penn National Gaming, Rush Street Interactive, Churchill Downs Incorporated, Kindred Group, and LeoVegas. The company’s US expansion accelerated in 2020 to now power sports betting in 13 states. The brand saw revenue rise by 28% for the full year 2020 to a total of €92.3m ($108.3m).

In a VegasSlotsOnline News exclusive, Kambi’s VP of sales Sarah Robertson said she believed the New York online betting market has the potential to become “huge” in the future. Roberton cites Nylén in Kambi’s Q3 2021 report as saying the “future looks incredibly bright for Kambi, not least in North America.”