Oliver Niner, Head of B2B says that DFS remains a compelling vertical with huge growth potential especially if operators expand their offering into esports

The roll out of legal online and mobile sports betting across US states has presented a significant opportunity for operators, but the market has proved harder to crack than many anticipated.

The cost of customer acquisition is skyrocketing, building brand equity is taking much longer than expected, and there’s been a slowdown in new states embracing regulation and licensing.

This has led to a run of operators exiting the market as the numbers simply don’t add up.

But while this is happening, the daily fantasy sports space continues to thrive and remains a compelling opportunity for operators.

DFS has a unique legal standing in many states where sports betting is still restricted, allowing operators to reach audiences they otherwise couldn’t.

It also fosters deeper engagement with those who play – players aren’t just betting on outcomes; they’re actively managing lineups and pitting their knowledge and skills against others.

This is the perfect combination for retention and loyalty – something sportsbooks struggle to achieve with players easily swayed to join another brand simply because of a generous free bets offer.

There’s also an untapped opportunity in bringing the worlds of esports and daily fantasy sports together, allowing operators to connect with an entirely new audience.

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Until now, traditional DFS brands have focused on the major sports, but the younger, digital-native audiences are more interested in esports such as CS2 and LoL than the NFL.

Why the DFS model works:

Before discussing how operators can get in on the esports DFS action, it’s important to understand why the DFS model works so well in the US, especially for those looking to diversify their offering.

The first is regulatory accessibility. DFS is legal in more states than traditional sports betting, allowing operators to enter markets where sportsbook licensing is unavailable or complex.

DFS has much lower acquisition costs while serving as a gateway to paid gaming. It often attracts a younger, more engaged audience at a lower CPA compared to traditional sports betting.

Strong user retention is another upside. Unlike one-off bets, DFS players return regularly to manage lineups, track stats and compete in contests, driving retention rates way beyond sports betting.

It’s also esports ready. Esports fans are highly engaged with player performance stats, making DFS a natural fit. It can then serve as an introduction to real-money esports betting when regulations allow.

The esports DFS opportunity to be explored:

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DFS is an established and thriving vertical and while some operators offer esports within their proposition, it often lacks depth, innovation and mainstream adoption.

Esports fans are naturally engaged with stats, player performance metrics and in-game analytics, so easily segue into the DFS format.

Titles like LoL, CS2, Dota 2 and Valorant offer rich data sets that allow for creative and competitive fantasy formats, but most operators are yet to really get into it.

This leaves a major gap in the market and a huge opportunity for those who put together a compelling esports DFS product, especially as the popularity of esports betting grows.

What a compelling esports DFS product looks like:

The foundation of any esports DFS product is reliable, real-time data and the ability to provide a range of engaging contest formats.

This is where companies such as PandaScore come in. We provide operators with comprehensive esports data including player and team stats across all the major disciplines.

We supplement this with accurate odds and DFS pricing models, helping operators to set accurate and competitive odds – both our data and odds feeds are integrated seamlessly via API.

We also provide unrivalled market expertise; the team has years of experience powering esports betting which we leverage to ensure our partners can succeed with esports DFS.

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In addition to markets and odds, players need to be able to access deep performance metrics so they can make informed decisions.

It’s also important for the operator to provide a smooth and intuitive experience via a seamless UX and mobile first approach to site and app navigation.

The diversity of the contests offered needs to be considered, too. This includes classic salary cap formats as well as pick’em games and more.

It goes without saying that social interaction needs to be baked into the experience through features such as leaderboards, private leagues and head-to-head challenges.

Operators need to get ahead in a rapidly evolving market:

The US sports betting and iCasino market is fast moving with the landscape constantly changing – just look at the conversation around sweepstakes casinos.

For me, DFS and especially esports DFS remain an underutilised growth channel that operators need to take advantage of.

As esports betting gains traction – PandaScore recently surpassed €1bn in bets through its platform – DFS serves as a vital entry point through which operators can build brand recognition and engage a digital-first audience primed and ready to play.

This audience might not be familiar with real-money betting today, but by providing them with an experience they are familiar and comfortable with, they can become the bettors of tomorrow.

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At PandaScore, we are here to help operators capitalise on this opportunity with best-in-class data, pricing models and strategic support.

For operators, this means the numbers will always add up when it comes to esports daily fantasy sports.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced the appointment of Mike Quigley as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Reporting directly to PrizePicks Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mike Ybarra, Quigley will be responsible for further building out a best-in-class marketing organization and overseeing brand vision, go-to-market strategy, campaign development and overall marketing efforts across the company.

“Mike Quigley is a renowned marketing and gaming executive with tremendous experience in driving player engagement, launching campaign activations and scaling successful brands,” said Mike Ybarra, CEO of PrizePicks. “His deep expertise in digital marketing, combined with his player-first mindset, makes him the ideal leader to help us further elevate the PrizePicks brand and engage our passionate players.”

Quigley is a seasoned marketing executive with over 30 years of experience in the gaming industry with a focus on user acquisition, community engagement, and player retention. Most recently, Quigley served as the CMO at Niantic, where he led global marketing efforts for the company’s real-world augmented reality games, including the blockbuster mobile game, Pokémon GO. Prior to Niantic, he was Director of Consumer Marketing at Google/YouTube, managing the marketing strategy and execution of campaigns for both original programming and live-stream events including Coachella and SXSW. Quigley also spent 11 years at Electronic Arts where he served as Group VP of Global Marketing for the EA Games Label.

Quigley said, “I’m thrilled to join PrizePicks at such an exciting time. I admire their relentless focus on exceeding player expectations and creating experiences that keep players engaged. The team’s commitment to deliver fun, innovative gameplay to sports fans is what sets PrizePicks apart and I look forward to working together to amplify those experiences for our players.”

As PrizePicks continues to expand to new markets, investment into responsible gaming remains a key focus. PrizePicks is proud to provide resources to help players enjoy our games responsibly.

SCCG Management, a leading advisory firm in the global gaming industry, announced a strategic partnership with Bettor Together, the first cooperative fantasy sports platform. This collaboration aims to support Bettor Together’s growth and operations by leveraging SCCG’s extensive industry expertise and global gaming network.

Bettor Together transforms fantasy sports by shifting from solo play to a team-based experience. Players join forces with friends to tackle player prop contests, enhancing the excitement and competition. The platform includes innovative features like Odds Boosts, strategic player prop picks, and immersive contests that engage users with real-time leaderboard tracking and thrilling end-game scenarios.

Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are excited to partner with Bettor Together to bring their innovative cooperative fantasy sports platform to a broader audience. Their unique approach to fantasy sports aligns perfectly with our mission to drive growth and maximize opportunities for our partners. We look forward to supporting their journey and helping them achieve new heights in the gaming industry.”

Mark Szandzik, Founder of Bettor Together, shared his excitement: “We are thrilled to kick off our partnership with SCCG. Their industry expertise and expansive network will help us uncover new opportunities and take our innovative platform to the next level. We are excited about the synergies our partnership with SCCG will create, introducing our cooperative fantasy platform to the gaming industry and showing that we are Better Together.”

SCCG will support Bettor Together by developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies to enhance both B2C and B2B growth. This includes analyzing market trends to identify partnership opportunities, conducting operational reviews to optimize processes, and executing targeted marketing and advertising campaigns to raise awareness within the gaming industry.