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Launched in 2016, Draftstars is fantasy sports betting brand owned by the Sydney-based PlayUP group. The group offers multiple online gambling services including sportsbook, fantasy sports, e-sports betting, and racebook. All these services are available under different brands. The group operates in Australia, the United States, New Zealand, and India. In Australia, all its brands (including Draftstars) are licensed by the Northern Territory Government. It is in a good position on the market for the sportsbooks category, but the fantasy sports betting service needs to be improved, as we will explain below.
Draftstars is an official betting partner of AFL and NRL. It is legally available in Australia, New Zealand, and India. Draftstars offer different payout structures like pools and fixed odds. It also supports private leagues, a general chat that every member can use, and the “Live Finals” feature in cooperation with KAYO (Fox Sports), which can offer very big prize pools. The website is available only in English.
Betting Variety of Draftstars
Draftstars only include sports and racing markets. We can say that the highest number of contests are in the racing category. Compared to other bookmakers online Australia, the number of sports and contests is quite limited, but we are sure that this will improve: the more the brand becomes known, the more contests players will create. Currently, the supported sports on Draftstars are:
- Racing: Harness Racing
- Sports: Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Cricket
For basketball, Draftstars NBA is your only option, other leagues are not supported. For golf, the only tournament supported is the PGA. As we mentioned above, we are sure that richer content will be available soon, as Draftstars has a feature that other Aussie bookies do not have: free contests. A contest can be created completely free of charge. So as long as you have an account, you can create your own contest even if you don't make any deposits. The minimum entry fee for player contests can be as low as 2 AUD. There is also a “rapid-fire” feature that lets you bet on multiple contests at once and win multipliers (as high as 25x).
Football Leagues
The only league supported by Draftstars is EPL (English Premier League). In this respect, unfortunately, it is not possible to say that it offers satisfactory content, especially when compared to other new bookies Australia. We would expect a brand that is among the official partners of the AFL to at least support this league. We are sure there will be more options shortly, but for now, you are limited to EPL in the football fantasy betting category.
Esports Betting
E-sports is available as an option at bookmakers Australia that offer fantasy sports, but that's not the case with Draftstars. PlayUP did not include the e-sports category in the Draftstars brand. It is preparing to set up a separate website for it: this service will be launched soon in both the United States and Australia. The promotional information says the service will cover Counter Strike, League of Legends, Dota2, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. When PlayUP's e-sports betting service starts, we will be able to provide more information.
Casino Games
PlayUP offers online gambling services under different brands. In this context, the brand it uses for casino games is Slots+ and this service is only available in the United States. So our offer for casino games is Bitstarz casino AU, this brand offers sports and casino games across Australia. The pure casino option is CasinoChan Australia also available in the most of the provinces. If you live in certain states, you can access the Slots+ service with mobile applications and play different casino games. However, this does not include Australian players: this service is only available from the US. If you are looking for a site that offers a variety of gambling services in one place, we recommend you take a look at our list of online bookmakers Australia.
Poker
Draftstars only offers fantasy sports betting. PlayUP, the owner of this brand, offers casino games too, including poker, in 25 different US states via mobile apps, but as we mentioned above, this service is not available for Australian players.
Live Betting
You can place live bets, but keep in mind that they are not like those in classic Aussie bookmakers. In Draftstars, you can bet on each contest before and after it starts. Bets placed after a contest has started are called “live bets” and you can take advantage of dynamic odds until the related event ends. You don't have much time to bet live as the contests don't last very long, but you can find dozens of different contests every day. Due to its nature, this type of live betting does not offer live streams, but you can get real-time score updates.
Draftstars Registration & Verification
It is mandatory to create an account and verify it to play at Australian licensed betting sites, and this is the case for Draftstars too. Click the “sign up” button to launch the membership form. You just need to enter your name, phone number, and date of birth. After completing this process, you can log in and place your first bet online Australia.
However, in order to withdraw money, you need to verify your identity/account too. Even if there is money to withdraw, player identity must be verified within 45 days of registration – otherwise, they will be closed. (This applies to all other licensed bookmakers Australia.) To do this, you need to update your profile with your address information and click the “verify ID” button on the same page. You need to upload a utility bill or a bank statement and an official document that proves your identity (i.e., passport or driver's license).
Draftstars Bonuses and Promotions
Like all other new Australian bookies, according to Australian law, the bookmaker cannot announce the provision of any bonuses to players. This means it's hard to get bonuses like Bambet casino no deposit or others and this is really rare chance.
Draftstars Website: Usability, Compatibility, and Payments
The Draftstars website has as modern a design as you would expect from new bookmakers Australia. It reminds Woo casino Aussie design. We can even say that it is one of the fastest and most practical Australian bookies we have reviewed so far. Both mobile and desktop versions of the site use the same design and you can easily access all other pages from the lobby page. The interface is somewhat reminiscent of Draftkings, but we can say that it has been "upgraded" because it loads faster and looks more stylish.
Most of the screen is reserved for contest lists. After selecting a sport from the ribbon menu at the top of the pages, you can see all the contests belonging to that sport. To join one, simply click the “Enter” button: a screen opens where you can see all information about that contest and choose your own lineup. In addition, you can create your own contest. In any case, it should be noted that compared to other Australian bookmakers, the contest screen is much more practical. It is also full of information that allows you to make a detailed analysis. Even if you are just starting out, you can easily understand what you need to do.
Australian Dollar (AUD) is the only supported currency. You can see the list of available payment methods below:
- VISA (deposit only)
- MasterCard (deposit only)
- POLi (deposit only)
- Bank Transfer (withdrawal only)
10 USD is the minimum deposit limit. Deposits also have a maximum limit of $1,000 per day, $5,000 per week, and $10,000 per month. Bank transfer is the only method for withdrawals and its minimum limit is 20 AUD for Australian players. (This limit is 200 NZD for players from New Zealand.) There is no information about the maximum withdrawal limit. All payouts are completed within a maximum of 7 days. However, please note that all deposits must be wagered at least once before a withdrawal request can be issued.
Download Draftstars
As one of the new Aussie bookmakers, Draftstars does not offer a “download” option. In other words, you don’t need a program to be able to access the site on mobile. You can simply launch your browser, visit the website, and access all available services instantly. This includes all modern browsers, even the mobile ones. In other words, while mobile apps are available, you don’t need to use them to play on mobile. You can simply visit the mobile version of the Draftstars website using your browser. This applies to all new Aussie bookies: this is how online sportsbooks work nowadays.
Draftstars on Android
The Draftstars app for Android can be downloaded from the Draftstars site – it is not available on the Play Store. You download an APK file and install it to your device manually. This is not a hard thing to do but remember to tick the “allow files from unknown sources” option in settings. The mobile app uses the same design and offers the same features as the desktop site.
Draftstars on iOS
The mobile app for iOS is available on App Store. It is developed by Draftstars Pty Ltd and designed for iPad. While it also has an iPhone version, the interface is clearly designed for bigger screens. In any case, the overall experience is satisfying and just like the Android app.
Safety & Reliability of Draftstars Australia
Draftstars is licensed by the Northern Territory Government of Australia, so it offers a legal service. (This applies to its sportsbook too.) The company that owns the Draftstars brand is also licensed by the New Jersey Gaming Commission, Colorado Department of Revenue, and North Dakota Racing Commission. 256-bit SSL encryption is used on all pages to protect sensitive information.
- You can find sports analytics, news, tips, and detailed sports data at the “Playbook” website of Draftstars.
- Like all other betting agencies Australia, Draftstars allows one account per person. If you use multiple accounts or share/sell your account, it will be closed.
- There is no term for arbitrage betting and other similar tactics. However, this is normal because such tactics cannot be used in fantasy sports betting.
- Draftstars will charge a monthly fee of 10 AUD for inactive accounts. If there are no transactions on an account for 12 months, it is considered inactive.
- Like all other licensed betting sites Australia, you must be at least 18 years old to open an account.
- Draftstars offers self-exclusion tools in accordance with responsible gambling rules. You can use some of these tools directly from your profile page, and some through customer service. Each player can set a limit for the amount of time they can spend on the site, the amount of deposits, and the amount of losses. Likewise, it is possible to temporarily or permanently suspend your access to the site.
You can reach customer service in multiple ways, but we recommend that you visit the FAQ page first. If you did not find the solution to your problem here, you can also write to the general chat, which is available to all players on the site at that time. Customer support can also see and reply to messages written in this chat. This is a good feature because normally live chat is only available from 6 am to 12 am AEST every day. However, at any time of the day, you can find a player like you on the site and he or she can answer your question. You can also reach customer service by phone and email. The email address is support @ www.draftstars.com.au and all messages are answered within 4 hours. Draftstars contact number is 1800 131 939. In this regard, it is one of the few betting websites Australia that offer phone support.
Draftstars Pros & Cons
PROS
- One of the most successful new Australian bookies
- Offers detailed analysis, reviews, and expert tips too
- Approved betting partner of AFL and NRL
- Lots of daily contests with big payouts
- Based in Sydney, Australia
CONS
- A limited number of sports
- No bonuses or promotions
Draftstars FAQ
How to register on the Draftstars website?
You will see a “sign up” button on the home page, click on it to open the registration form. Fill out the form and verify your account as soon as possible. You have 45 days to do this, but the sooner the better.
How to bet on sports with Draftstars?
You can bet on all available contests or create one of your own. Select a contest, click the “Enter” button, check the details, and create your lineup. Each contest requires a different entry fee. As soon as you pay that fee, you will join that contest.
Is it possible to watch live streams of matches at bookmaker Draftstars?
No, you cannot watch live streams at this bookmaker. This is simply because such a thing is not possible: there is live betting, but the matches/events are not real. You are betting on virtual contests.
How to get a bonus at bookmaker Draftstars?
There were no bonuses for new or current members at the time of our review. When they become available, we will update our review and let you know the details.
Why is the Draftstars website not working?
This can be due to lots of reasons such as technical difficulty or maintenance. Maybe the problem is your internet connection, so check it first. If everything seems alright on your side, try a mirror site (i.e., visit the bookmaker using a mobile device).