Sports betting operator FanDuel has received regulatory approval to go live with mobile sports betting in Indiana as early as today. The pending launch of digital betting follows the company’s entry in Indiana’s retail wagering market last month.
The Indiana Gaming Commission issued over the weekend an order authorizing FanDuel to enter the state’s online and mobile betting space. The operator’s yet-to-be-launched digital sportsbook will be the third one to go live in the Hoosier State following the launch of the BetRivers and DraftKings Sportsbook online betting operations in early October.
Indiana legalized retail and online sports wagering as part of a larger gambling expansion effort this past summer. The state first authorized the start of betting at physical facilities at its casinos. Its first retail sportsbooks opened doors on September 1.
Regulated athletic gambling was off to a pretty good start in Indiana, according to recently published data from the Gaming Commission. The state’s sportsbooks handled $35.2 million in bets in September, which translated into revenue of more than $8.6 million and tax revenue for the state of $813,103.
All of that came from retail wagering only. With the start of mobile betting in early October and the anticipated launch of FanDuel’s betting app, wagering handle and revenue should grow significantly this month and in the months to come.
Local Partnerships
FanDuel entered Indiana’s retail betting field in early September through a partnership with Las Vegas-based gaming and hospitality operator Boyd Gaming. Under the terms of the deal between the two major gambling companies, the betting operator launched sportsbooks at its partner’s Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa in Michigan City and Belterra Casino Resort in Florence.
FanDuel will be operating its mobile betting app under a Certificate of Authority issued to Boyd Gaming’s Blue Chip property, according to the order that the Indiana Gaming Commission issued this past weekend to authorize the wagering company to commence digital sports gambling operations.
It is to be seen whether FanDuel’s early success in New Jersey and neighboring Pennsylvania will replicate itself in the Hoosier State as well. FanDuel launched its mobile betting app in New Jersey in the summer of 2018 and quickly emerged as the market leader. It entered Pennsylvania’s mobile betting space this summer and, according to September figures released by the state Gaming Control Board, the FanDuel mobile betting app dominated the local wagering space throughout the month.
FanDuel recently announced an exclusive partnership with NFL franchise the Indianapolis Colts that would significantly increase its brand exposure across Indiana. Under the terms of the 2019-2020 season deal, the company, which also runs a successful fantasy sports business that precedes its sports betting endeavors, has become the Official Fantasy Sports Partner of the Colts.
The partnership enables the Colts and FanDuel to engage new and existing fans through in-stadium digital signage, in-game promotions, as well as radio, TV, and digital advertising. The deal does not include FanDuel’s sports betting operation.
Source: Indiana Gaming Commission
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