Fanatics Sportsbook Re-Branding & Vermont Launch Next Week: Your 7 Top Questions Answered
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The Buzz Around Fanatics' Imminent Launch
A Fanatics launch has already taken place in nine states, and there are plenty more to come! Sports betting enthusiasts will be pleased to note more rollouts of the Fanatics Sportsbook are planned for 2024, and there is plenty of excitement.
Currently Live:
- Fanatics Sportsbook Colorado
- Fanatics Sportsbook Connecticut
- Fanatics Sportsbook Kentucky
- Fanatics Sportsbook Maryland
- Fanatics Sportsbook Massachusetts
- Fanatics Sportsbook Ohio
- Fanatics Sportsbook Tennessee
- Fanatics Sportsbook Virginia
- Fanatics Sportsbook West Virginia
Expected to Launch Soon:
- Fanatics Vermont
- North Carolina
As we gear up to this exciting rollout, here are our answers to the top 7 questions you might be asking right now:
1. Who is Fanatics and how did it go from Sports Merchandise to Betting?"
Fanatics began life as an American sportswear retailer, which had an e-commerce presence across college and pro teams. CEO Michael Rubin merged this into his company GSI Commerce, which he went on to sell for $2.4 billion to eBay, and he then bought the sports e-commerce business back.
Fanatics is now the online retailer of licensed sportswear for the likes of the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and more. In August 2021, Fanatics set its sights on expanding further and announced plans to become a leading global digital sports platform.
As a result, Fanatics Collectibles - a licensor, producer, designer, and seller of physical and digital trading cards and sports memorabilia - and Fanatics Betting & Gaming were born.
Fanatics Betting & Gaming's first Fanatics Sportsbook launched in Maryland in January 2023, after Maryland sports betting went live in November 2022.
The company has gone live with Fanatics Sportsbook in nine states; Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Colorado, which have legalized gambling, and there are many more states to come.
Sports betting enthusiasts can even watch an NFL game on the app and place bets on the same platform. Fanatics teamed up with Genius Sports, a sports data company that partners with the NFL, in September 2023 to make this possible via Genius' product BetVision.
It is certainly a positive for the Fanatics app's user experience, and no pre-existing subscriptions, promotions, or bonuses are required to access the feature.
Fanatics even has the courtesy to warn fans about possible stream lags.
The Fanatics website states: "Typically, streams can lag from live broadcasts anywhere from eight seconds to a full minute, depending on the company. Live TV broadcasts lag from the live action by around seven seconds. Genius says the lag time at sportsbooks will be about three to seven seconds - a massive edge if you're planning to live bet."
2. Fanatics' Rebranding of PointsBet: What Does this Move Signal for the Sports Betting Industry?
Fanatics Sportsbook is set to make a significant debut with the unveiling of its newly branded sportsbook on January 8th. This launch marks a key milestone following Fanatics' acquisition of the US market of Australian bookmaker PointsBet in October 2023 for $150 million.
As part of this strategic move, Fanatics has begun the rebranding of PointsBet in several states, transforming it into “PointsBet, a Fanatics Experience.” This rebranding is expected to occur in as many as 11 states, indicating Fanatics' commitment to establishing a strong presence in the sports betting industry.
Fanatics Sportsbook is also among seven sportsbooks that have applied for an operator license in North Carolina. It is said Fanatics could launch in North Carolina under the PointsBet name initially.
Fanatics' decision to rebrand PointsBet marks a significant shift in the sports betting landscape. This move signals a strategic expansion beyond their established stronghold in sports merchandise into the rapidly growing and highly competitive field of sports betting. By acquiring and rebranding PointsBet, Fanatics is not just entering a new market; it is leveraging its existing brand recognition and vast customer base to gain an immediate foothold.
Moreover, since Fanatics is no stranger to the online world, after being an online retailer first, its customer service should be adept at handling any online queries that might come their way. All of that means sports betting enthusiasts can concentrate on picking winning bets, watching the NFL, and building up their FanCash, one of the company's unique features, as they enjoy the service.
3. Fanatics' Rebranding of PointsBet: What Does this Move Signal for the Sports Betting Industry?
Following this initial launch, Fanatics Sportsbook is expected to go live in Vermont on January 11th, coinciding with the "Green Mountain State"'s launch of sports betting after recently passing a law to legalize up to six Vermont Sportsbooks.
There is also expected to be a Fanatics Launch in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York in early 2024, and North Carolina is also expected to experience the Fanatics Sportsbook treatment this year, as sports betting in North Carolina is expected to go live sometime in March.
In December, The North Carolina Lottery Commission revealed Fanatics Sportsbook, BetMGM, Bet365, DraftKings, FanDuel, ESPN BET, and Underdog Sports had all applied.
However, North Carolina State Lottery Commission Chair Ripley Rand has recently said the Tar Heel state will not have sports betting in time for Super Bowl 58 on February 11, but basketball's March Madness is now the aim, as the hope is for Fanatics to be one of the leading sportsbooks for March Madness betting this year.
In December, Gov. Roy Cooper told the Ovies and Giglio OG Live Podcast: "The goal is to get it out there by March Madness. No guarantee that that's the case. I think that is the goal."
Selection Sunday - when the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament participants are selected, seeded, placed, and announced - takes place on March 17, and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is scheduled to begin on March 19. Fanatics announced in December it will partner with the Carolina Hurricanes.
4. Where Will Fanatics Be Available?
Fanatics chief executive Michael Rubin revealed in October that a Fanatics launch would take place in "every major state" except New York, but that has now changed after The New York State Gaming Commission officially approved the mobile gaming license for Fanatics Sportsbook NY in the same month.
The digital sports platform's betting business plans to be in "15 to 20 states" by the start of the new NFL season.
Speaking at the CAA World Congress of Sports, Rubin said: "I think in the betting business, we’re going to start launching [in] multiple states in January.
"We’ll be in every major state other than New York, where you can’t make money, by next football season."
Sportsbooks are required to fork out a 51 percent tax rate in New York, which was previously thought to have put Fanatics off.
5. What Sets Fanatics Apart?
One of the unique features of Fanatics Sportsbook is the loyalty system FanCash.
Sports betting enthusiasts can earn up to 5% of FanCash with every bet placed, and bettors can purchase team merchandise, collectibles, one-of-a-kind perks, and exclusive sports experiences with their FanCash.
For a straight bet, they will earn FanCash up to 1% of the amount bet, up to 3% for a parlay bet, and up to 5% for a same-game parlay.
In another boost to users, all eligible bets, which includes parlays or same game parlays, made using an Odds Boost will earn up to 1% back in FanCash.
Sports betting enthusiasts who like being kitted out in their team's favorite jersey just as much as gambling on them might be keen to hear about this attractive unique feature.
Fanatics is playing to its strengths here by using the fact it's an online retailer of licensed sportswear in pro basketball, American football, ice hockey, baseball, and soccer, among others, to attract people to bet with the company.
6. How User-Friendly is the Fanatics App?
A Fanatics launch means more people are being given the chance to try out the Fanatics app's user experience later this month.
Sports betting enthusiasts will no doubt hope to find it is one of the best betting apps around, and they will surely be drawn to the app's intuitive design.
Fanatic Sportsbook users can bet on the likes of golf, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, boxing, MMA, motorsports, and many more, and the app has a comprehensive number of bet types.
Punters will no doubt be keen to get to grips with moneyline and spread bets, as well as try to work out whether an NFL or soccer match will be over or under the total points line.
Live betting is also one of the many bet types available for those logging in after a Fanatics launch, and users can even take advantage of live NFL streaming on the app.
In terms of innovative aspects, one of the unique features of the Fanatics app's user experience is without doubt its FanCash feature.
What Promotions and Bonuses Can Users Expect?
Those heading to the Fanatics Sportsbook after a Fanatics launch might like to take advantage of some of the promotions and bonuses on offer. While we do not have all the details at this moment, you can expect Fanatics to launch with a big bang.
Make sure to bookmark this page and keep checking for any updates to Fanatics’ imminent rebranding launch and subsequently, state launch in Vermont next week. There will no doubt be more promotions and bonuses to come in the future. Keep an eye out for upcoming sportsbook promo codes to access these offers here at Gambling.com.
Fanatics Sportsbook: A New Chapter in Sports Betting
While Fanatics appears to be doing things quite quickly at the start of 2024, US sports betting enthusiasts shouldn't get too carried away, as Rubin admitted the company's expansion will be "on a very calculated basis", and insisted it is "not in a rush to do everything at once".
He said: "Things don’t happen overnight. So I think in five years that will be where we’ll be. And I think we’ll do it on a very calculated basis.
"We’re not in a rush to do everything at once, because if you do that you screw it up."
However, that doesn't mean fans shouldn't be getting excited about the impact of Fanatics in the sports betting world.
Fanatics looks set to be a major player in the industry, and if its aim to be in "15 to 20 states" by the start of the new NFL season is accurate then the Fanatics Sportsbook will be extremely busy this year and in years to come.
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