Australia’s youngest billionaire and co-founder of crypto gambling platform Stake.com, Ed Craven, will pay sign-on bonuses of up to $100,000 to get the best tech brains in the country working for him at EasyGo Solutions. Co-founded by Craven and Bijan Tehrani and based in Melbourne, the fintech is raiding major Australian tech firms such as Atlassian and Canva as part of a rapid expansion into cryptocurrency and online gaming.

EasyGo Solutions Offers Higher Salaries and Relocation Packages

EasyGo Solutions is also offering salaries 20% higher than industry standards for senior software engineers, principal software engineers and engineering managers, covering interstate relocation costs and providing “top-end” benefits, reported The Australian. 

EasyGo chief technology officer Dave Lemphers said experienced engineers were needed to tackle problems related to “hyper-scale growth”. He added that companies such as Atlassian, Canva, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google had experience scaling complex systems — making their employees among the most prized in Australia.

The Australian tech sector is grappling with a skills shortage expected to leave it needing 300,000 extra workers by the end of the decade. However, just 6,000 domestic students graduate each year with science, technology engineering, or math degrees. This has forced companies such as EasyGo to poach from other local firms.

EasyGo Solutions Doubles Down on Growth, Moves into Bigger Melbourne Office

EasyGo Solutions has taken on additional office space on Collins Street in Melbourne as it has grown from two staff members to more than 350 since being founded five years ago.

EasyGo Solution’s subsidiary Stake.com is among the world’s largest crypto casinos and takes about AUD400 million ($266.8 million) worth of bets per day after processing more than 200 billion wagers since its inception seven years ago. 

While Australians are banned from gambling online with cryptocurrency, EasyGo Solutions has diversified its investments by taking nearly 5% of ASX-listed online bookmaker PointsBet and applying for a bookmaking license in the Northern Territory.

EasyGo Solutions also plans to open a hub in Bogotá, Colombia — after buying Betfair’s Colombian operations — and hire more than 50 staff across Latin America by the end of the year. Additionally, it will also move into Peru, Mexico and Paraguay. 

Craven and Tehrani’s strategy features high-profile deals such as acquiring naming rights for Sauber Formula 1 team and sponsoring English Premier League team Everton, aimed at catapulting Stake.com into the mainstream.

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Basketball powerhouse LeBron James is joining DraftKings’ team as a talent ambassador, the American betting operator announced. While best known for his basketball prowess, King James’ partnership with the gambling juggernaut will actually be centered on football.

According to the announcement, the multi-year agreement will see the Los Angeles Lakers star participate in a variety of football activations centered on select key tentpole events. This latest football venture will see James, who is prohibited from discussing the NBA under the terms of his agreement, leverage his understanding of the professional sports sector as a whole.

James is, admittedly, no stranger to football himself. Prior to his foray into the world of professional basketball, the King played football for two years for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.

A Union of the Crowns

LeBron James commented on his new venture on X, where he shared a promotional photo of himself under DraftKings’ signature crown. Using emoji, he implied that this is a partnership between kings and added:

Football season just got A LOT more fun. Let’s go!

LeBron James

Meanwhile, Jason Robins, DraftKings’ board chair, welcomed the basketball star to the DraftKings family. Robins lauded King James as “one of the most influential athletes of all time” and said that the current deal is an “absolute honor and privilege” for his team.

Robins added that he cannot wait to work with such an outstanding athlete who reflects the operator’s love for sports.

We look forward to working with a passionate sports fan who shares the same competitive mindset that echoes throughout the walls at DraftKings, while delivering exciting engagement opportunities to our customers and his loyal fanbase for years to come.

Jason Robins, chair, DraftKings

Other Fresh DraftKings News

LeBron James isn’t the only new addition to the DraftKings family. A few days ago, the gambling giant also added the experienced Marie Donoghue as its new chief business and growth officer. In her new role, Donoghue was tasked with overseeing different internal processes and leveraging her extensive experience to help DraftKings grow.

An earlier report, meanwhile, implied that a tie-up between DraftKings and Barstool Sports is in the works. People familiar with the matter implied that this deal is set to be a game-changer.

In other news, two individuals were just indicted for participation in a recent cyberattack on DraftKings. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.

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