TOKYO, September 3, 2014 – Rakuten, Inc. today announced that it has signed a share transfer agreement with MY.TECH CO., LTD.for the acquisition of all shares of KDreams Co., Ltd., the provider of the online betting service “KDreams” for parimutuel betting tickets for bicycle races (betting tickets). The value of the acquisition has not been disclosed.
KDreams Co., Ltd. launched its operations with an online betting service for multi-race betting tickets, and started selling ordinary parimutuel betting tickets in December 2011, contributing to an increase in sales for bicycle race operators based under the local governments of each region. As of the end of August 2014, KDreams Co., Ltd. handles the sale of ordinary pari-mutuel betting tickets for 42 velodromes in Japan, individual multi-race betting tickets for 16 velodromes, as well as all unified multi-race betting tickets.
The company has introduced the use of an original electronic money system known as “DERUCA” for the purchase of betting tickets. They are the first company in Japan to utilize an electronic money system for public racing, and have paved the way for the diversification of payment methods for the public racing industry, which previously only used the mainstream method of transferring funds through banks.
KDreams Co., Ltd. builds its voting site and electronic money systems internally, and is also engaged in projects to build other systems for public racing.
To date, Rakuten has been making efforts in expanding sales for betting tickets for horse races through its online betting service “Rakuten Keiba” for local horse races. Rakuten also launched the sale of soccer bets (“toto/BIG”) and lottery (“NUMBERS”), and has enhanced the appeal of its services through initiatives for awarding points, and by providing Rakuten members with even more services through the use of Rakuten Bank as a payment platform, thereby contributing to overall growth in sales.
Going forward, Rakuten aims to make full use of the knowhow that it has built up through its operations, including horse racing and lottery, as well as the online member base of the Rakuten Group, which is the largest in Japan, to enhance the appeal of “KDreams” services, communicate the appeal of bicycle racing to even more customers, and expand sales. In doing so, contributions will be made to the development and revitalization of the respective regions.
Overview of KDreams Co., Ltd.
Company name: KDreams Co., Ltd.
Established: June 2009
Nature of business: Development and operation of “KDreams,” an online betting site with an electronic payment system for bicycle racing; “DERUCA,” a server-managed electronic money system; development and operations for commissioned projects
Address: 7F, KDX Fuchu Building, 1-40 Miyamachi, Fuchu City, Tokyo
Representative: President and CEO, Yasuhiro Murakami
URL: https://kdreams.jp/