Last Updated on 28 June 2023
The Murdochs have had a long-standing interest in entering the Australian wagering market and reports say that the famous media moguls will soon announce their new betting partner in the country.
News Corp Australia, according to multiple sources, will soon strike a deal with a prominent Australian bookmaker. Rupert Murdoch’s new wagering partner will provide the betting technology and platform needed to start operations in Australia and will get a stake in the new business in exchange.
Even though the deal will be announced soon, the new Australian betting company will not start taking bets immediately. Instead, it is expected that the company will take its first wager in the second half of 2022.
Three Candidates
News Corp Australia has been searching for an established Australian wagering partner for over a year. It was reported that it talked to Matthew Tripp, one of the most influential betting figures in Australia, and was also engaged in talks with Betmakers. Betmakers has close ties with Matthew Tripp too.
There are also reports that the company that publishes The Herald Sun and The Australian has had discussions with a third company, but one that’s not based in Australia.
FOX Bet No Longer an Option
Neither one of those reports claim to know which wagering partner News Corp Australia will eventually go with. One thing that’s for sure now is that News Corp and Fox Corp, Lachlan Murdoch’s company, will not ask for an Australian license for the FOX Bet brand.
Earlier this year, there were reports that News Corp’s new betting provider will operate under the FOX Bet name. However, that no longer seems to be an option.
A New Australian Bookmaker Will Be a Game-Changer for the Industry
The Australian sports betting market has recently consolidated and bookmakers know the market share they can expect to get. However, when the News Corp betting operator enters the market, that will change.
News Corp entering the Australian betting market will probably result in bigger and more lucrative sports sponsorship deals. Rupert Murdoch’s company has a 60 per cent in Foxtel, the Australian cricket, AFL and NRL broadcaster.
News Corp has so far only quoted sports odds on the Foxtel streaming service. However, with an established Australian bookmaker entering the picture, that will change and the company will dramatically increase its sports betting and gaming focus.
And the Murdochs are not new to sports wagering and gaming too. Rupert’s son, Lachlan launched and runs FOX Bet, one of the most successful US betting operators, while the family also launched SunBets in the UK, a business that didn’t fare nearly as well and no longer operates.
