A ’match made in heaven’ involving the island-based online gaming giant the Stars Group and sports media company Fox Sports to set up a legalised media and sports wagering partnership in America has finally gone ’live’.

Fox Bet is now working in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is hoping to grab a huge piece of the local sports gambling market.

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It is an example of the rapidly changing sports gambling environment in the States.

It is the first time a major media company has put its name to a gambling operator in the USA.

It is predicted that the sports gambling industry in the U.S. is going to grow.

The Stars Group teamed up with Fox Sports, which launched Fox Bet, providing the US with a product similar to that seen in online gambling in the British Isles, with betting on sporting events.

Fox Bet customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can place wagers on popular sports which crucially includes the NFL, American Football, which is about to launch a new season.

Business News first reported on the move back in May when Rafi Ashkenazi, chief executive officer of The Stars Group, said: ’We believe this strategic partnership uniquely positions us to build a leading betting business in the U.S., which represents one of the most exciting long-term growth opportunities for our company.

’Leveraging our proven media partnership strategy with Sky Sports in the UK, we are excited to partner with Fox Sports to integrate wagering into sports media and drive customer acquisition and retention in the US.’

The partnership has sparked a lot of interest in the gaming media which is reporting that Fox Bet is giving gambling fans the ability to wager on a variety of sports.

The website also offers gambling tutorials and predictions provided by the team from Fox Sports

Castletown-based gambling expert Warwick Bartlett has previously told Business News: ’This is a win-win deal for both Stars and Fox, a match made in heaven.’

He says it is a very important move in the gambling world.

The Fox Corporation acquired a 4.99% stake in the Stars Group in May which is another indication of the changing environment in the US.

Robin Chhabra, chief executive officer of FoxBet, said: ’If you’re a sports fan in New Jersey, Fox Bet is a game changer. Fox Bet combines decades of expertise in content-rich programming and regulated online gaming to drive a superior, integrated and interactive live viewing experience for our customers found nowhere else in the United States.’

Stars Interactive, the online gaming division of The Stars Group, is headquartered in the island, at the Douglas Bay Complex, King Edward Road, Onchan - the home of Poker Stars.

The parent company, Stars Group Inc, is based in Canada.