Fanatics Launches in Pennsylvania for Sports Betting and Online Casino
Fanatics Betting and Gaming has officially launched its combined online casino and sports betting app in Pennsylvania today, January 22.
The gambling arm of the sports merchandise giant has now launched in 11 states with its Fanatics Sportsbook, and in three for Fanatics Casino. The operator joined the West Virginia online casinos market in November 2023, and in New Jersey shortly after.
Fanatics has now fully taken over the operations of PointsBet in Pennsylvania after 2023’s $252 million purchase of the Australian sportsbook’s U.S. operations.
Although by state law online operators have to partner with physical casinos in the Keystone State, Fanatics has chosen not to launch Pennsylvania retail sports betting with its partner, Hollywood Casino York.
The state has now seen two new sports betting and online casino operations launch in the space of three months, with Penn Entertainment launching its ESPN Bet product in its home state in November 2023.
The last online gambling operator to launch in Pennsylvania before that was PointsBet in 2022, which Fanatics has now replaced.
Sportsbook and Casino Features
This Pennsylvania sports betting and online casino debut for Fanatics includes a 48-hour soft launch period under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This has been a requirement for all market entrants in the state. However, there are no restrictions on customer signups or play during this time.
The app will debut with Fanatics’ full loyalty program. Bettors earn the currency through wagers, which can then be spent on sportsbook bonuses or on sports merch at Fanatics.com.
The sportsbook also includes BetVision, a live sports betting product that allows football betting customers to watch select NFL games in the Fanatics app with a sports betting overlay.
Meanwhile, Fanatics Casino, embedded in the sportsbook app, features a range of popular casino games from live blackjack to video poker or modern slot games.
That includes slots by provider Light & Wonder, as well as a live casino from leading developer Evolution. The Fanatics press release also promised custom-branded Fanatics casino games to debut later in 2024.
“Fanatics Betting and Gaming will produce exclusive content, including the new Fanatics Blackjack game developed in partnership with Boom Entertainment. More games are scheduled for later this year,” the operator said in a press release.
The casino and the sportsbook will debut with a full set of responsible gambling features, such as time and deposit management options.
Fanatics’ Broader U.S. Expansion and Market Disruption
Fanatics’ entry into Pennsylvania follows its recent launches in Connecticut and Colorado, part of its ongoing U.S. expansion strategy.
In 2023, it launched in 10 states in total. However, that was mostly in the second half of the year, after acquiring PointsBet U.S. The first half consisted of slow beta rollouts for sports betting in Ohio and Massachusetts, before ramping up the launches with sports betting in Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
In December, it also launched in the limited market of Connecticut online sports betting, where it partnered with the state lottery to compete against FanDuel and DraftKings.
In 2024, it is also set to launch for North Carolina sports betting when that market debuts sometime before June.
The Pennsylvania sports betting market hit a $900 million total handle for the first time in November 2023 amid a booming U.S. sports gambling scene.
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