Sport-focused tech company DraftKings will base its new European engineering centre in Dublin.
US-based fantasy sports and betting company DraftKings has announced its plans to open a new office in Dublin. The company said that it will base its new European engineering centre in the city, close to St Stephen’s Green, with plans to hire about 30 software engineers.
New hires will help the company further develop its daily fantasy sports platform, which first launched in Ireland in 2017. The Dublin expansion builds on the business’s growth since being founded in 2012. DraftKings currently has offices in five US cities, with more than 800 employees, and the platform is available in eight countries internationally with 15 distinct sport categories.
“Delivering a flawless and responsive consumer experience across our various platforms around the clock to our 11m global customers is our top priority,” said Travis Dunn, DraftKings chief technology officer.
“Dublin is one of Europe’s top tech hubs and has deep roots in sports betting and gaming. Establishing roots in Dublin will allow us to provide more comprehensive coverage, respond quicker to issues and work in closer coordination with our international vendors, while recruiting the country’s world class tech and gaming talent.”
The Dublin site will be headed by Waterford Institute of Technology graduate Jack Murphy, who previously worked at Travelport and Hewlett-Packard.
Commenting on the announcement, co-founder and director of SportsTech Ireland Martina Skelly said: “We are delighted to welcome DraftKings to Ireland. We know that it will soon feel at home in Dublin – a sport-obsessed and innovation-driven city.
“A founding US operator of daily fantasy sports and now a leader in sports wagering and mobile gaming, DraftKings’ expansion is proof that Ireland continues to successfully incubate the sports and tech space.”
The 30 new team members are expected to have been hired by early to mid-2020, with recruitment for the positions beginning soon, according to a company spokesperson.
