Canada’s Cineplex has daily fantasy sports plans

The multi-billion dollar Canadian cinema operator Cineplex, which claims an 80 percent market share, looks set to branch out into the daily fantasy sports tournament sector, according to reports in the Globe and Mail newspaper.

The company recently spent $10 million acquiring an eighty percent share in daily fantasy sports company World Gaming and is building cross marketing synergy with its vast cinema audience and loyalty program.

The plan is apparently to feature DFS and eSports competitions in the cinemas Cineplex owns across Canada, although the strategy is still at a fluid stage.

The Globe and Mail opines that this could be a good business opportunity, pointing to similar US media centres where literally millions of DFS and eSports fans are prepared to pay $120 to play or watch online competitions and award spectaculars.

“Imagine if every multiplex devoted a few screens every weekday and weekend to fantasy gaming – combat games, virtual reality simulations, professional sports, etc. As the audience grows, so will the payouts, revenue and profitability,” the newspaper observes.

“In the United States, Web-based fantasy sports gambling is exploding. This year, FanDuel and DraftKings will pay out nearly $3-billion in prizes,” it adds, but cautions that legal and political activity in the vertical is currently intense.

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