Yet another online gaming brand has hit the Australian market, CrownBet, a joint initiative between B2B tech group BetMakers and CrownResorts-owned Betfair Australia.

The launch suggests that industry confidence in the long-term sustainability and lucrative status of the Australian betting market remains strong despite extensive political debates around regulatory reform in recent years.

CrownBet expects to launch in Q1 2026, supported by a five-year technology and services deal between Betfair and BetMakers. The operator is being branded as a premium online wagering brand for the Australian market.

The move marks Betfair Australia’s expansion into fixed odds sporting betting, with the firm being Australia’s only regulated betting exchange. Unlike the rest of the international Betfair brand, which is owned and operated by Flutter Entertainment, Betfair Australia has been operated entirely by Crown Resorts since 2014. It was also active in New Zealand until earlier this year.

Amy Zavros, CEO of Betfair Australia, said: “Betfair is evolving to meet the changing needs of Australian customers by introducing a new fixed odds product under the CrownBet brand and required a technology partner capable of delivering a top tier product from day one.

“Following a rigorous RFI and evaluation process, BetMakers was the clear choice. Their technology, trading and services capability provides the foundation we need to bring CrownBet to market at the intended scale and complement our Betfair betting exchange, giving customers greater choice, value and innovation.”

More big moves down under

Australian gaming stands at an interesting point politically. The sector has been subject to a lot of political pressure and scrutiny lately, as with other national markets, largely due to concerns around its societal impact. The fact that Australia has a higher problem gambling rate than similar markets like the UK is a common point of concern.

A package of 31 reforms – named the ‘Murphy report’ after the late MP who penned it, Peta Murphy – was on the table for some time, including an advertising ban. However, PM Anthony Albanese does not seem keen to press ahead with the full package, much to the chagrin of independent and Green MPs.

Despite this political environment, various companies remain keen to expand in or make entry into Australia. This can be seen by the bidding battle between Betr and MIXI Australia for control of PointsBet, and Philippines-backed NextBet’s launch in September via the acquisition of Brisbane-based CrossBet.

Playing its part in CrownBet’s market entry, BetMakers’ five-year deal with Betfair encompasses technology and services including a full betting stack, its end-to-end solution, trading and risk management services, and a content engine.

The deal is largely based around BetMakers’ Apollo technology stack, with the firm describing the development of CrownBet as ‘the most significant commercial milestone’ for this suite of products.

BetMakers COO, Martin Tripp, remarked: “This partnership is a major endorsement of our end-to-end B2B strategy and a milestone for the Apollo platform. To be selected by Betfair to power the return of CrownBet demonstrates the scalability, performance and commercial flexibility of our technology stack.

“By combining our Apollo platform with deep industry expertise and talent within Betfair, we are confident we can deliver a market-leading wagering experience and help to position CrownBet as a formidable player in the Australian market.”