Share
The turn of the calendar will bring many things. Among those that Pennsylvania residents have to be the most excited about is the return of constant wall-to-wall political commercials everywhere you look. On a more serious note, Fanatics Betting and Gaming plans to expand its options for players in Pennsylvania in 2024.
At some point during the early months of the year, Fanatics will add its online casino product to its current apps for Pennsylvanians. It should strongly resemble the online casino product that citizens of another state currently have access to and herald the arrival of another development from Fanatics.
Fanatics shares plans for Pennsylvania online casino platform
Currently, Pennsylvania gamblers have access to Fanatics Sportsbook via Android and iOS apps. That is due to expand in 2024 according to Fanatics Betting and Gaming Chief Product Officer Scot McClintic. However, a specific timeline for that expansion remains unclear right now.
Fanatics will integrate its real-money online casino product into those apps for Pennsylvanians. At that time, current sportsbook users and new customers will be able to access the casino games without leaving the apps.
When that integration occurs, Fanatics users will be able to choose between live dealer games, online slots, and online table games in the app. For any Pennsylvanians wanting to get a sort of sneak peek at what’s coming, that’s possible. That depends on what lengths they are willing to go to for that sample.
Fanatics debuted its online casino product in West Virginia in November. The online casino product that will go live in Pennsylvania in 2024 should be identical, at least to start. For Fanatics, going live in Pennsylvania will be a significant step. At the same time, there are other plans further on the horizon.
Fanatics’ online casino plan goes deeper
McClintic also mentioned future plans for Fanatics’ online casino product this week during a product demonstration with PlayUSA and other Catena Media properties. Those include a standalone casino app.
Pennsylvania online casinos have become the biggest buck bovine in the US game, producing more monthly revenue on a regular basis than any other state with legal real-money casinos operating within. Thus, it’s understandable why Fanatics had Pennsylvania first in its sights after running a kind of “test” on West Virginia’s comparatively smaller population.
At some point, Fanatics wants to roll its online casino platform into dedicated, separate apps. Fanatics would not be the first to go in the direction of an online casino app spinoff. Caesars recently did the same thing, taking Caesars Palace Online Casino live in four states.
The temporary integration with the sportsbook, however, serves a couple of purposes. First, it makes sportsbook players aware that Fanatics also offers online casino. McClintic said many players in West Virginia crossed over from sports betting. Fanatics hopes to replicate that in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the temporary integration gives Fanatics time to make adjustments and improvements before pulling the trigger on the spin-off. Fanatics will have the luxury of waiting until it is supremely confident that the standalone online casino app can compete before doing so.
As US online casino fans know, the national market is bigger than just Pennsylvania and West Virginia. For players in Michigan and New Jersey, the situation is a little different.
What about Michigan and New Jersey?
For those two states, Fanatics’ scheme to be a market leader differs from Pennsylvania at this point. It all has to deal with Fanatics’ purchase of PointsBet’s US operations. In both of those states, PointsBet has an existing online casino product.
Fanatics just received approval from the Michigan Gaming Control Board this week to officially take over operations there. In doing so, Fanatics is rebranding the existing products to PointsBet, a Fanatics Experience.
Fanatics pulled off that rebrand in New Jersey in September. Fanatics does not have a separate license for its proprietary-branded online gambling products in either Michigan or New Jersey. Thus, for the foreseeable future, PointsBet will represent Fanatics in those states.
That could change if Fanatics ever gets licenses there or completely rebrands existing PointsBet products. For now, though, Fanatics’ eyes are set on Pennsylvania.
