PointsBet hopes to fuel U.S. expansion with $43 million acquisition of betting platform company

PointsBet hopes to fuel U.S. expansion with $43 million acquisition of betting platform company

Article brief provided by CNBC
  • Jabari Young, CNBC
March 16, 2021 6:00 AM
  • Jabari Young, CNBC

Banach Technology is referred to as the Robinhood of sports gambling, and PointsBet now owns it.

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The sports betting company acquired Banach in a $43 million transaction on Monday. Banach is a business-to-business software company that creates sports betting platforms and algorithms, including in-play wagers.

PointsBet, which is based in Australia with a U.S. headquarters in Denver, will pay 55% cash for the company, issue 1.75 million shares, and pay $4 million to assist in converting the two firms.

In an interview with CNBC on Monday, PointsBet CEO Johnny Aitken said, “multiple benefits will be unlocked by this transaction,” including PointsBets’ enhancing in-play offerings.

“The trend in this industry, especially in the U.S., will be all around in-play betting,” said Aitken, estimating “roughly 50 percent” of bets are currently placed in-game. “Within three years, our expectation is roughly 75 percent of bets will be placed in-play. So the future of the U.S. sports betting opportunity is in-play [bets].”