Fanatics Betting and Gaming has officially launched its first sportsbook. The Fanatics Maryland sportsbook is now live at FedExField, home of the Commanders. This is the first time an NFL stadium is hosting a retail sportsbook, a major push for in-stadium sportsbooks.
The sports apparel brand has begun taking wagers and locals have already embraced the new sportsbook. Fanatics officially enters the Maryland sports betting arena.
Fanatics Enters Maryland With FedexField Sportsbook
FedExField is home to the Washington Commanders and despite the team missing the playoffs, fans are still wagering at the stadium. The locale is a full-service retail sportsbook with eight betting windows and 24 self-service kiosks. The lounge is also home to two LED video walls and 42 HD TV monitors across the book.
There is also a full-service restaurant that allows for dine-in options. Fans now have more reasons to enter the stadium outside of just game days.
This sportsbook officially kicks off the NFL in-stadium sportsbook industry; although, current league rules prohibit betting while an NFL game is being played in the stadium. While other sports franchises like the Arizona Cardinals who partnered with BetMGM have yet to go live, Fanatics is available right now.
The first official wager was made by local Commanders Fan of the Year Chris Bryant. The bet was a $20 parley with +167 odds on both the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards winning their next games.
“We are excited to bring the Fanatics Sportsbook to Maryland at FedExField,” said Ari Borod, Chief Business Officer, Fanatics Betting and Gaming. “Our first retail location, with adjacency to the Commanders Team store, is a physical representation of what Fanatics will deliver to sports fans all over North America. We are rolling out our platform first at retail and we will have more exciting news to share in the coming months as we bring to market new mobile technology designed to improve the betting experience for sports fans.”
Fanatics earned its market access in Maryland through its partnership with the Washington Commanders. This is a major step for the Fanatics brand which is pushing into the sports betting industry. The beginning of its foray into legal sports betting could be the early signs of a new dominant betting operator.
Fanatics’ Future In Sports Betting
The Fanatics brand is a major fixture in the sports industry with its apparel business. It has strong name recognition and a loyal fan base associated with its brand. This is similar to the Barstool Sports brand when that company entered sports betting.
Fanatics has the potential to be even bigger as the company is more known than even Barstool was at the time. BetFanatics also gained its betting license in Ohio and is working towards one in Massachusetts. These are two markets going live in early 2023 (Ohio is already live.)
There are also talks of the company looking to acquire BetParx Sportsbook to further increase its sports betting footprint in the U.S. The future of Fanatics in sports betting is looking like a bright one.
