FanDuel is obviously not resting on its perch as the top online sportsbook and iGaming table games operator in Pennsylvania.
It debuted a FanDuel-branded casino app, the first stand-alone casino app in the state, on June 23. The app is now available in PA for iOS and Android users.
FanDuel’s PA path
In New Jersey, FanDuel started with a casino app with Betfair and then later integrated it with the sportsbook app. In Pennsylvania, the product rollout occurred in a different order. First, FanDuel launched its mobile sportsbook in July 2019 through its partnership with Valley Forge Casino and Boyd Gaming. The online casino in January 2020 was followed by the debut of the stand-alone casino app in June 2020.
General Manager of FanDuel Casino Jesse Chemtob told Playin Pennsylvania:
“We looked at this as a natural evolution of the casino product offering. Our goal is to provide an entertaining experience, one that people are excited to play. Trying to drive innovation in the marketplace over the long term will be how we continue to compete and take market share.”
FanDuel online casino games selection
FanDuel’s online casino in Pennsylvania, integrated with the sportsbook, currently has:
- 21 slot titles
- 6 table games
- Game King Video Poker
The most popular table game is blackjack. Chemtob says that is mostly due to a table-games-oriented sportsbook clientele. On the slot menu, customers enjoy Divine Fortune and Wheel of Fortune: Extreme Spin Edition.
To start, the FanDuel casino app will have the same number of games as the current product. But Chemtob said FanDuel is working on adding more games in the “near future” and making the two products distinctive. Eventually, he said, the stand-alone casino may support more games.
“Early on, there is a more limited set of titles available. As more suppliers come to the market, I think you will see the game offerings grow. We are looking forward to really ramping that up.”
FanDuel rules tables
FanDuel has held the top spot for table games since debuting in July 2019.
| January 2020 | February 2020 | March 2020 | April 2020 | May 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table games wagered received | $84,747,555 | $238,575,556 | $206,847,269 | $223,646,520 | $212,547,812 |
| Table games gross revenue | $1,705,810 | $4,819,860 | $3,999,261 | $3,836,818 | $3,305,415 |
| Slot wagers received | $9,329,137 | $40,708,497 | $43,786,964 | $92,566,326 | $125,308,187 |
| Slot gross revenue | $375,442 | $1,233,147 | $1,589,002 | $4,099,097 | $4,724,031 |
“We are happy with the results so far, but there is a larger market, rather than just sports bettors or table games players,” said Chemtob. “There is a much bigger online casino market we are trying to tap into. We want to offer a product to those players who are looking for a bit of a different experience than what you might find within a sportsbook app.”
From DFS giant to market leader in sports betting
FanDuel began as a daily fantasy sports company, then evolved into sports betting. It quickly dominated the PA sports betting market, accounting for about half of all wagers placed in the state.
FanDuel’s December 2019 handle is the all-time high for an operator in PA ($154.5 million). Its $7.7 million January 2020 revenue is also a record for a PA operator.
The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on all sportsbooks, even FanDuel, although it has maintained its lead.
Sports cancellations at first left few options for wagering, then were replaced by not-so-familiar sports like table tennis and the Korean Baseball Organization. Prior to the cancellations, the FanDuel online casino benefitted from sports bettors crossing over to the iGaming feature.
A different type of casino customer emerges
Coronavirus caused Pennsylvania’s 12 brick-and-mortar casinos to close, and its effects reverberated throughout both retail and online in different ways.
“We’ve seen a lot more interest in the casino offering,” said Chemtob. “During this time, where there isn’t a lot for people to do from an entertainment perspective, we’ve seen more interest in casino games at a high level. If you look at the industry as a whole, it is growing pretty rapidly.”
Since the coronavirus pandemic, FanDuel has noticed a different type of customer demographic:
- New customers are more evenly split by gender: 45% male, 55% female.
- Eighty-two percent of new casino customers said that slots games were their favorite.
“We were seeing more of a core casino customer relative to what we’ve seen in New Jersey, where they have less of a table game skew, than we would normally see,” Chemtob said. “They tend to be more balanced in terms of gender.”
How to use the FanDuel casino app
In the new stand-alone casino app for FanDuel:
- New FanDuel casino players can either sign up for an account or use their existing FanDuel Sportsbook account to log in and play.
- There’s a soon-to-be expanded game library. Current table games include blackjack, roulette and video poker. The slot library features popular titles like Divine Fortune, Wheel of Fortune, Extreme Spin Edition and Red Hot Tamales.
- New FanDuel casino players can play their first day on the app risk-free up to $200. FanDuel will refund any losses up to $200 during the first 24 hours of players placing their first casino wager (losses are refunded as casino site credit).
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