Draftstars is a bookmaker capable of providing betting opportunities for Australians. This Draftstars review aims to find how this site stacks up against the competition.
REGISTER HERE >Pros: Easy to get started – The Draftstars team have built an impressive fantasy sports layout. The contests are easy to enter and the navigation flow is well designed throughout the desktop website or mobile app. It's also easy to follow live scores and deposit funds quickly.
Sports and markets covered by Draftstars Australia
Contents
- 1 Sports and markets covered by Draftstars Australia
- 2 What are the Draftstars game types?
- 3 Additional betting features to assist punters
- 4 FAQs that need to be addressed
- 4.1 What is Draftstars?
- 4.2 Who provides the license for Draftstars’s operations?
- 4.3 Who can join the site?
- 4.4 Who runs Draftstars?
- 4.5 Can users create a new Draftstars account from the app?
- 4.6 Does the app support deposits and withdrawals?
- 4.7 Does the site support players creating their own contests?
- 4.8 Is the site secure?
- 4.9 What are the security measures used by the site?
- 4.10 Is it possible to set gambling limits?
- 5 Summary, analysis, and review of Draftstars
It is appropriate that this Draftstars review begins with a close look at the betting markets available on the site. The primary product of Draftstars in Australia is the chance to bet on fantasy sports. Many of the sites falling into this category tend to focus on American sports like baseball and basketball. As an Australian-owned site, Draftstars is quite different since many top Australian sports are also covered. This is one of the few fantasy sports sites that covers AFL Australian rules football.
Some of the sports that are covered on the site would be:
- NRL Rugby league
- NBA
- English Premier League
- MLB
- NHL
- Golf
- Horse racing
There is something for any sports fan from Australia, as more than 15 different sports – International and Australia – are covered. The betting options are split up into three major types:
- Classic
- Head2Head
- Rapid Fire
This Draftstars review is also aware that the site is in the process of bringing a tipping competition along with these options. The classic is the usual daily fantasy sports game where users will be picking up contests and lineups to earn points, which would provide access to prize pools. The head-to-head type is about going against other members on the site. Since it only involves two players, there can be just one winner. The rapid fire option is a unique element of the site.
Analysis of the Betting Odds & Limits
The process of betting at the site is quite unique, as the punter is not going to make wagers on fixed odds available on sporting events. Instead, the user will be creating a fantasy sports team, which will determine the success by picking up points based on the performance of real-life counterparts. The user can create fantasy sports teams on major tournaments that take place in Australia and across the world.
There are several daily tournaments that can be entered at different price ranges from $1 to $15. Depending on the tournament entry size and several other parameters, the prize pool can vary a lot. It can be as low as $200 to even $35,000 and above. The payouts are different for each tournament. For example, the PGA tournament of champions will be able to receive a bigger prize pool while the Big Bash League competitions are likely to be limited in the number of teams that would receive the payout. Irrespective of the version chosen by the user, there will be plenty of opportunities to win.
What are the Draftstars game types?
Our Draftstars review has already briefly touched on the three major types of fantasy play you can engage in (classic, head to head and rapidfire). Now though, we're going to get under the hood of each respective game type as we look at how each works.
Before we delve into each game type though, we want to have a quick run-through of how the top-level works. Most people are familiar with the traditional fantasy sports format; that's not how Draftstars works though. Draftstars fantasy sports doesn't operate over an entire season; this eliminates one of the major bug bears for a lot of players, which is the commitment needed to truly see a game through. Instead, this version of fantasy sport focuses on one week, one game or, in some instances, one player. It means the play is fast paced with winners and losers quickly defined.
In respect of how much you need to get started, Draftstars entry fees start from nothing but prize pots can reach into six figures.
Classic
We realise this sounds ridiculous but the classic game is exactly that, it's played in the classic format. So, park that bonkers explanation and let us explain in more detail. The first step is selecting the sport you wish to play in, which you can easily do via the lobby menu. You'll then be tasked with putting together a team; you can select players as you see fit but do have a fixed budget that cannot be exceeded.
Now, most punters can hand select the top players but the budgeting makes things more difficult as you won't be able to build a team full of the best players; this means your expertise of spotting form and key fixtures becomes hugely important. From there on out, it's all about how your collective team performs. Players will be scored as per the game rules (these vary from sport to sport) with the highest score winning.
Head to head
Your starting point for this game will be the aptly named “head to head” filter in the lobby menu. In the head to head game you are competing against one other player – although you can enter yourself into multiple contests at the same time. Beyond that key difference, the route to winning is the same in that you have to select a team and hope for the most points. The winner takes it all.
Rapidfire
Rapidfire is a game for those who want their fantasy fix but without the full time investment. The principle behind the Rapidfire game is easy – you'll be given a list of 10 players that are split into five pots, which then pits two players against each other in five ‘battles'. Your role is to pick the highest scoring player in each ‘battle'. How do you win? Well, the game itself is split into two forms – Rapidfire 3 and Rapidfire 5. The former game, Rapidfire 3, sees your potential winnings capped at your entry stake * 1.8 if you can correctly pick three winners from the five ‘battles'. If, however, you want to scoop 20 * your entry stake then you'll need to correctly predict each of the five player head to heads.
Additional betting features to assist punters
Live streaming of sporting events
It turned out to be a surprise for this Draftstars review to know that live stream is not available even as an option. Since live sports is not the priority of the site at this moment, the operators have clearly decided against providing live streams, which is turning out to be an important facet in the punter’s consideration of a bookmaker. Once live sports are covered in great detail, this Draftstars review is confident that live streams might be included in the future. As one of the platforms which functions exceptionally well on desktop and mobile devices, it is unlikely that the reputation will be smothered in a swift manner.
Assistance to punters through tips
Draftstars does not have features like live streaming, but it does provide a news and tips area which is quite handy and useful for those who want to keep themselves abreast with all the latest sporting news. The tips can end up being very useful for creating a powerful fantasy sports team. Even though it is difficult to directly assess the value provided by this section, there is no doubt that it is excellent in its own way.
Line-up Builder
Unsurprisingly, one of the important elements are both a fantasy sports betting site would be the line-up builder. This Draftstars review found that a line-up builder is available for free access. As of now, it is in the beta format so that users should expect some kind of hiccups when they use the same on the site. Furthermore, it is available only on the laptop and desktop, as mobile users are left out of this advantage. This line-up builder is for the Big Bash League and users will be able to upload the rosters in a CSV format within a few seconds.
Insight of the experience offered by the Mobile App
The Draftstars review was left impressed with the overall mobile experience provided by the site, which managed to do almost everything right. The simplicity of the fantasy sports app is one of the attention grabbers, as users need not spend a lot of time trying to understand the interface and features. Many of the features are out in the open, which is the way that should be designed. The availability of filters makes it easy to find the preferred contest, although the lobby will be a huge gateway to many opportunities. There is a red button available on the app so that users can create their own contests to play against friends.
The start screen will provide access to almost every facet of the app. In many ways, the design is rather interesting since the long menus have been done away in favour of simplicity. There is also little need to go through a ton of pages for getting into a contest. Since the app gives access to all daily fantasy games from Draftstars, it serves as a great alternative to the desktop site.
The app works extremely well on Android and Apple devices. One crucial difference of the Android app is the availability of the same in the Play Store. If it is a regular sports betting app, it would not be hosted on the Play Store and users would have to circumvent the problem with additional measures. Now, however, the app is available directly on the Play Store and one can get the same just as they would get the app from the App Store.
FAQs that need to be addressed
What is Draftstars?
Draftstars is a fantasy betting site that is quite different from a regular online bookmaker. The site acts as a platform where tournaments and contests are hosted on a regular basis. These can be public or private competitions, which will reward users depending on their selections performing well in real life.
Who provides the license for Draftstars’s operations?
The license for Draftstars site is offered by Northern Territory Racing Commission.
Who can join the site?
A player has to be an Australian resident and above 18 years of age to become a part of the Draftstars site.
Who runs Draftstars?
Draftstars is run by PlayUp, who happen to be an Australian bookmaker with an interest in a variety of sports. As a result, Draftstars is a 100% Australian site. Read through this PlayUp Review to find out more.
Can users create a new Draftstars account from the app?
Yes, users will be able to start new accounts directly from the app, which is available even for people who do not already possess an account.
Does the app support deposits and withdrawals?
The app has been designed to be a full-fledged replacement for the desktop. Therefore, it supports all functionalities like deposits and withdrawals.
Does the site support players creating their own contests?
Yes, players can create their own contests, which can include the user’s preferred number of players, prize pool structure, entry fees, and more.
Is the site secure?
In the course of coming up with this Draftstars review, the site was found to be quite secure when it comes to maintaining the personal and deposit data. This should not come as a huge surprise since the site is run by PlayUp.
What are the security measures used by the site?
This Draftstars review found that the site happens to possess many security features like SSL technology and systems to protect the passwords.
Is it possible to set gambling limits?
Yes, Draftstars supports responsible gambling through options like a cooling-off period and deposit limits.
Summary, analysis, and review of Draftstars
Draftstars has to be construed as a fantasy betting service rather than as an online bookmaker. There are plenty of things that one should get accustomed to before joining up with the site. It is quite different from a regular bookmaker where punters will be backing a specific event at fixed odds. Instead, the concept of fantasy sports betting is particularly different, but Draftstars does a great job of providing users with plenty of options and education regarding the same. The lack of any major form of customer support like phone and live chat is one of the biggest disadvantages. However, this should not stop users from being able to enjoy the platform. There are plenty of things to like about Draftstars like the option to create own contests, enjoy big prize pools in major tournaments, and more.
