PlayUp and CrossBet Players Migrate to NextBet as Sites Shut Down

According to PlayUp’s website, all PlayUp and CrossBet players will be transferred to NextBet, a mysterious new Australian brand that will serve as the company’s primary operator moving forward. The transition comes at a time when NextBet is continuing its spread across Australia.

PlayUp Is Preparing for the Migration

The website also explained that CrossBet’s brand will be fully discontinued, while PlayUp’s will remain active “in the short term,” although the site is scheduled to temporarily go offline on February 28 to facilitate the transition. However, Draftstars will continue to operate as part of the NextBet platform.

This means customers will have a single unified account, and any wagering limits, responsible gambling settings, account restrictions, promotional offers, or bonuses will apply across all three brands. These conditions cannot be separated, duplicated, or circumvented by placing bets on multiple platforms.

Once the migration is complete, customers will be prompted to update the PlayUp app the next time it is opened. The update will automatically convert the existing PlayUp app into the new NextBet app. After updating, users can open the app and log in using their existing PlayUp username and password.

Meanwhile, the account transfer process for CrossBet is slightly different. After the migration is complete, they will have to download the NextBet app from their app store. After that, they’ll need to set a new password using the same email address linked to their CrossBet account. 

Questions Still Surround the Migration

The whole migration comes after a controversial deal that saw PlayUp shareholders vote to sell the company to CrossBet for AUD 18.6 million (about $13 million) back in November 2025. That acquisition was the culmination of PlayUp’s prolonged search for a solution to longstanding regulatory and financial challenges is approaching a critical juncture.

Additionally, the identity behind NextBet remains unclear. The brand launched in September 2025 as a “challenger in the Australian wagering market,” coinciding with an announcement of its acquisition of CrossBet. The company described itself as an acquisitions vehicle for the mid-tier Australian wagering sector, aiming to “roll up undercapitalised lower-tier operators while driving operational efficiency.”

Publicly available filings with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission indicate that NextBet is essentially a rebranded corporate vehicle of CrossBet, owned by a different CrossBet entity. This entity, in turn, is controlled by multiple shareholders, the largest of which is a separate group including members of the Cross family. The filings also identify two directors: Scott Cross and Harley Dalton, founder of CrossBet’s former owner, Altor Capital.