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Fanatics’ took a journey down a country road that brought it home to the state where they belong: West Virginia.
This week, Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) announced launching its sports betting and online casino app in the Mountaineer State. West Virginia is the first state in the country to host FBG’s sportsbook-iGaming app.
A dual approach to online gaming could pay dividends
Fanatics is one of several brands to launch an app that features sports betting and online casino games in one unified platform.
Though the app’s name is Fanatics Sportsbook, the app will also include a variety of online casino games like roulette, online slots, blackjack, and an exclusive Fanatics blackjack game.
FBG plans to roll out more online casino games “in the near future,” a press release about the launch said.
West Virginia is one of only six states offering iGaming, which makes the market relatively rare. Of the six states that offer online casinos, West Virginia is in the bottom half of revenue behind New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
That said, its West Virginia online casino launch gives Fanatics the chance to see how its customer base evolves. The company will get a great look at the crossover between sports bettors and online casino customers.
The dual-gaming app may increase customer retention, bets, and revenue.
Players should have an easy transition from PointsBet to Fanatics
This past August, FBG acquired PointsBet‘s US sportsbook and online casino and, in theory, the customers that used them.
Rather than leave those customers in the cold as winter approaches in West Virginia, FBG has devised a system that allows PointsBet customers to seamlessly move their PointsBet account to Fanatics Sportsbook.
All customers have to do is download the Fanatics Sportsbook app, and then log in with their PointsBet email address and password. From there, according to the press release, Fanatics will transfer all the customer’s data including:
- Account balances
- Reward points
- Responsible gaming settings
- Open bets
Leveraging rewards points to woo sports merchandise customers
Before Fanatics dove into the sports betting and online gambling, it made a name for itself as a premier provider of sports merchandise and memorabilia.
The company’s online store features a rewards program called FanCash. As customers buy items from Fanatics’ website, they rack up rewards points they can redeem at future purchases.
In West Virginia, Fanatics is leveraging that rewards program by offering its sports bettors FanCash rewards on three types of bets:
- 5% rewards on same-game parlay bets
- 3% rewards on parlay bets
- 1% rewards on straight bets and odds boosts
So, if a customer gambles $100 on a same-game parlay, they’ll earn $5 in FanCash.
This type of cross-promotion between retail and sports betting is controversial. Fanatics tried a similar move in Ohio and earned a slap on the wrist from regulators.
