Fox Bet Launches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Rupert Murdoch’s new sports betting platform, Fox Bet, has launched in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Fox Corporation is the first major media outlet in the US to launch its own sports gambling platform. Fox Bet aims to provide a one-stop destination for placing bets and receiving sports news.
Fox Bet is now offering new players a generous welcome bonus © Fox Bet
Fox Bet’s New Jersey launch comes as part of its recent partnership with The Stars Group. Fox Sports and The Stars Group announced their partnership last May. The deal is planned to last for the next 25 years. Fox Bet will replace the BetStars Sportsbook brand in New Jersey as part of an image revamp.
This is hardly Rupert Murdoch’s first foray into the world of gambling. The media mogul has used his reputable brands as platforms to launch gambling enterprises before, with much success. His corporate holdings in established news brands in the United Kingdom have given him the opportunity to test the strategy he is now exporting to America twice before, with tabloid newspaper The Sun and the broadcasting company Sky.
The first and most successful venture in this direction was Sky Betting & Gaming. This enterprise was somewhat kick-started by the purchase and absorption of smaller brands such as Surrey Sports and, through the acquisition of 365 Media Group, GoldBet, Through the knowledge, experience and existing player base of these brands, Sky Betting & Gaming were able to become a leading player in the UK sports betting market. Thanks in part to the huge reach of the Sky Sports brand, Sky Bet is one of the most frequented online betting services in the UK. The company owns a range of other gambling brands, which include Sky Poker, Sky Vegas and Sky Bingo, which have helped establish Sky Betting & Gaming as a market leader in British iGaming. It was sold to The Stars Group, Fox Bet’s other backer, for £3.4 billion in 2018.
Perhaps less memorably for Murdoch is the brand centered on the popular British tabloid newspaper, The Sun. Launched in tandem with Australian gambling firm Tabcorp (who are perhaps best known outside of Australia for their role in the ‘
Despite the Sun’s reach, as well as the paper’s popular sports section, Sun Bets was not to enjoy the same success as Sky’s iGaming brands and was closed prematurely in 2018. Tabcorp was required to pay Murdoch’s News UK £39.5 million, as the deal was originally meant to run for 10 years.
What Makes Fox Bet Different?
Favourite Fox Sports hosts are the face of the program © Fox Bet
The Fox Bet app has several standout features on offer. Users can take part in a free game featuring cash prizes. These can be won by correctly predicting the outcomes of sports games. It serves as a useful way of allowing users to get the hang of sports betting with no risk attached. It could also be possible in for users in states that have not legalized sports betting to play the free game, as no real bets are being made. More experienced app users will want to dive straight in with real bets. Many different sports are available to bet on – from baseball to basketball to boxing. Sports betting might be a fledgling industry in the US, but Fox Bet allows New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents to make the most of all that’s possible.
Fox Bet is also quick and easy to sign up to. They are offering a welcome bonus of $20 free cash to play with when new players sign up. Players can also receive up to $100 free cash to play with on paying more deposits. Fox Bet might offer a good deal, but is it any different to other online sportsbooks? Building on Fox Sports existing reputation for leading sports journalism is a smart move. Fox Bet means that bettors can place their bets using trusted information from Fox Sports’ cast of well-known presenters.
Will Fox Bet Be Available in Other States?
Online sports betting is still a relatively recent thing in the US. It all began when PASPA (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, in May of 2018. Since then it has been down to individual states to decide where they stand on the matter. States must pass legislation before bringing in sports betting, which can be a lengthy process. As such, there are currently only 13 states that have legalized sports betting, with Indiana being the most recent. This number is set to rise though, as the popularity of sports betting within legalized states becomes increasingly apparent.
Online Sports betting has been legal in New Jersey since June 2018. This makes the Garden State one of the earliest adopters of sports betting. It makes perfect sense that Murdoch would choose New Jersey as the first location for his latest sports gambling platform. Fox Bet is now available in Pennsylvania too, and we can fully expect other states to join in. Fox Bet could soon be implemented in other sports betting legal states, although time will tell which ones.
