Fanatics launches its sportsbook and online casino products in Pennsylvania

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) has launched its sportsbook and online casino in Pennsylvania, the operator announced on Monday. As a standard requirement of launch, the company is undergoing a two-day soft launch with supervision from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. However, there will be no restrictions on sign-ups or playtime for customers.

The Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino will be available for download on iOS and Android to those living in and visiting Pennsylvania. It marks the 11th US state in which FBG’s sportsbook is available, while it’s the second for the casino element after West Virginia.

Having been acquired by FBG in August 2023, PointsBet customers were able to migrate their accounts onto the Fanatics Sportsbook app, though only on the day of release. Headquartered in New York, FBG claims it’s "disrupting the sports betting industry" thanks to its new features, including:  

• FanCash: This gives customers up to 5% of their wager back in FanCash and every dollar of FanCash is a dollar to spend on Bonus Bets or at fanatics.com.

  • Earn 5% FanCash on Same Game Parlay (SGP) bets.

  • Earn 3% FanCash on parlay bets.

  • Earn 1% FanCash on straight bets and odds boosts.

• From curated to a more personalized experience: The Fanatics Sportsbook Discover page features marquee games, trending bets, promos, and rewards. Soon, the Discover page will be personalized to the customer’s favorite teams, sports, and markets, according to a press release.

• Search: The Fanatics Sportsbook offers "industry-leading" search functionality, including a search bar, recent searches, autocomplete, synonym/alias, and deep linking.

• Live streaming: The Fanatics Sportsbook, in partnership with Genius Sports Limited, launched BetVision, a live sports betting product that enables customers to place bets while live streaming select professional football games in the sportsbook app.   

For casino, FBG highlighted its “exciting” lineup of slots, as well as new games that have been provided through its partnership with Light & Wonder. FBG also plans to produce exclusive content with its Fanatics Games Studio, with more games scheduled for later this year.

The newly designed Fanatics Casino features a range of classic casino favorites like roulette, slots and blackjack, along with offering customers  features such as live games by Evolution; the possibility to earn FanCash back on bets, spins and hands; and more.

The launch marks Fanatics' entry into one of the major US markets for gaming. Pennsylvania's gambling industry achieved a new milestone in 2023, reporting a record-breaking $5.69 billion in revenue, marking a 9.3% increase from the previous year's high of $5.21 billion. 

According to data released by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the corresponding tax revenue reached a record $2.34 billion, surpassing the 2022 figure of $2.12 billion. This surge was primarily attributed to a substantial 28% growth in iGaming revenue, amounting to $1.74 billion for the year.

FBG’s casino expansion into Pennsylvania is tapping into an iGaming market with huge potential after online casinos were legalized in the state in 2019. Sports betting in Pennsylvania also achieved a record-high revenue of $458.6 million, a 14.3% increase from the previous year. Player spending on sports betting, or handle, reached $7.68 billion, marking a 6.0% increase from the 2022 record.

FBG’s move into Pennsylvania will see them come up against industry giants such as FanDuel and DraftKings, who are partnered with Valley Forge Casino Resort and Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, respectively.

According to the December 2023 report, FanDuel is the current leader in Pennsylvania’s sports betting market, posting $233.6 million in revenue. DraftKings, meanwhile, was second with $121.1 million, while BetMGM and its partnership with Hollywood Casino Morgantown fell way behind with $21 million in third.

In terms of iGaming, Hollywood Casino at Penn National topped the revenue rankings with $61 million. Valley Forge Casino Resort was second with $41.3 million, before Rivers Casino Philadelphia with $31.3 million.