Category Archives: Fantasy Sports

FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook Debuts in Illinois

FanDuel Group today announced the launch of the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook app and online experience in Illinois. In partnership with Boyd Gaming, Illinois is the sixth state in the United States where the industry-leading FanDuel Sportsbook online and mobile platform is available. FanDuel is bringing its best-in-class online sports betting experience to sports fans who can now place wagers across professional football, basketball, baseball, golf, MMA, soccer, darts and tennis with a multitude of betting and payment options available.

The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook is available for download via iOS and Android for residents and visitors to Illinois.

“We have been waiting for this day for quite some time,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “Sports are back, so we are going to show sports fans in Illinois an innovative sports betting app experience with industry leading promotions and consumer protections that have made FanDuel the #1 sportsbook in the U.S.”

The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook in Illinois is simple, secure and convenient, with a number of key features, including:

Industry-leading promotions: Any customer that doesn’t win their first bet is refunded their wager, up to $500. Plus, if you refer a friend, you’ll both get $50 more.

Hometown Heroes: The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook will offer markets on hometown teams with extremely generous odds to give new customers More Ways to Win.

Innovative Spirit: FanDuel was the first US Sportsbook to offer live streaming of sporting events inside a betting app and the first to offer Same Game Parlays, which is the ability to build a parlay utilizing betting markets from the same game.

FanDuel Group’s Account and Wallet Technology: FanDuel Group developed its own account and wallet technology in-house that is the backbone of the new operating system on the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook app in Illinois. The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook now connects to FanDuel’s popular fantasy sports app, so customers can use fantasy sports and sportsbook winnings interchangeably.

Cash Out: FanDuel offers fast, secure payouts enabling customers to withdraw their winnings in as little as 24 hours. The new Cash Out feature allows you to settle a bet for a certain value before the sporting event bet on has finished.

In addition, the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook offers a range of payment options, safe and secure banking, lightning fast payouts usually within twenty four hours, 24/7 customer service, and in-game wagering allowing users to bet on live games as they’re being played. FanDuel utilizes its proprietary risk and trading technology that leverages the IGT PlaySports platform. The FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook also has account protections in place and a global reputation for responsible wagering.

Sports fans in Illinois can download the FanDuel Par-A-Dice Sportsbook app today on iOS and Android or visit https://il.sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports. For more on the FanDuel Sportsbook and sports betting content, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

Return Of Live Sports, Season Simulations Gives Strat-O-Matic Board, Digital Baseball Games A Record Setting Run

Strat-O-Matic Baseball

With baseball, basketball, hockey and others back on the fields, courts and ice, and football training camps underway, fans have been able to enjoy live sports that the COVID-19 pandemic has denied them. With hopes high that the delayed seasons can continue through to their conclusions, fans’ enthusiasm for Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball board and digital games set records for sales and engagement, according to numbers released today by the market leader in sports simulations.

For the period of March through July 2020, Strat-O-Matic sales far surpassed the same time frame in 2019:

  • Baseball Board and Windows platform sales are more than 70% higher
  • Baseball Board game product sales are more than 85% higher
  • Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 50% higher
  • Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales are more than double
  • New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 200% higher

And this past month, as the pro squads were returning, interest in Strat-O-Matic baseball was even more pronounced, as compared to July 2019:

  • Baseball Board game product sales were more than 80% higher
  • Baseball Windows platform sales were more than double
  • Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales were more than double

The Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets:

““I am proud our incredible team was able to pivot in this complex market,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “We are thrilled live sports have come back, and through the pandemic, simulation’s crucial place in sports has become clear. 

“We look forward to providing more entertainment and connection for sports fans,” he added. “Strat-O-Matic has been and will continue to be the bridge to fill holes as professional sports leagues awaken and occasionally pause as our country moves through this difficult time.”

FanDuel Sportsbook Spreads The Love As NBA Tips Off

credit: Keith Allison

Opening night of the Battle in the Bubble will feature the Lakers and Clippers facing off for a pivotal win, and FanDuel Sportsbook is giving customers a chance to get an even bigger win when a legal sports bet is placed on the game. Today, FanDuel Sportsbook, a division of FanDuel Group, will once again bring its innovative Spread the Love ™ promotion to customers to celebrate the return of the NBA on TNT.

For every 2,500 customers who bet on the Lakers in the special Spread the Love Market, FanDuel will move the spread one point in the Lakers favor. There’s no limit to how good this line can get and the line won’t stop increasing until fans stop betting, or the game tips off. New and current customers can place a bet in the special Spread the Love Market to qualify and no matter what spread the bet is placed on – every wager placed in the market will receive the final spread.

“Spread the Love is one of our signature promotions and it’s exciting to watch the line move throughout the day, especially for such an important game on the first night of NBA action returning,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “There is no limit to how good this spread can get and it doesn’t matter what line you have when you place a wager, everyone will get the final spread.”

The Lakers spread will begin the day at -4 with odds at -110. Max bet is $50. Spread the Love promotional spreads were introduced into the legal sports betting market by FanDuel in 2019. The Indianapolis Colts wound up with a +51 spread against the Saints last December and the 76ers point spread closed at +59.5 against the Bucks earlier this year.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is available for download today in iOS and Android. To track the line movement throughout the day, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

Cleveland Tops L.A. In Strat-O-Matic MLB Simulation Season

Terry Francona (credit: Arturo Pardavillo III)

The 2020 baseball season will be unlike any other, a 60-game sprint that began last night replacing the normal 162-game grind. And just as that means different strategies and maybe a different outcome than a full slate would have produced, Strat-O-Matic’s (www.strat-o-matic.com) simulation of the truncated schedule meant a new winner, as Cleveland topped Los Angeles, four games to two, in the World Series.

Cleveland, which posted the second-best A.L. record at 39-21, swept No. 7 Boston (29-31) in the expanded first round and No. 3 Tampa Bay (38-22) in the ALDS, then survived a seven-game series with No. 1 Houston (44-16) in the NLCS before topping Los Angeles (44-16), the N.L. top seed, winning the last three games to erase a 2-1 series deficit. Domingo Santana was a surprise hero, batting .417 with two homers in the series, and Franmil Reyes slugged three round-trippers for the winners.

Major award winners were as follows:

AL MVP: Carlos Correa, Houston

NL MVP: Kris Bryant, Chicago

AL Cy Young: Charlie Morton, Tampa Bay

NL Cy Young: Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta

AL Rookie of the Year: Luis Robert, Chicago

NL Rookie of the Year: Alec Bohm, Philadelphia

This was in contrast to the full season simulation that Strat-O-Matic conducted day-by-day since March and completed this week, in which the Dodgers defeated Houston in the finals. The expanded 16-team playoff Fans can access the full 2020 “short” season at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/announcements/2020-60-game-season-simulation/ and full season simulation standings, statistics and game results at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/.

“We figured there would be a difference between the 162- game and 60-game simulations, but Cleveland winning is certainly a surprise,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “The upcoming ‘sprint’ season and expanded playoffs mean that truly anything can happen, and Cleveland winning it all for the first time in more than 70 years certainly qualifies.”

Some other statistics and items of note from the season:

  • Daniel Murphy of Colorado (.380) and Xander Bogaerts of Boston (.345) won the league batting titles, respectively
  • Joey Gallo of Texas got on a home run roll, blasting 17, matched by his N.L. counterpart, Kris Bryant of Chicago. Carlos Correa of Houston knocked in 46 runs to lead the A.L., and Eduardo Escobar had 39 RBI to pace the N.L.
  • Charlie Morton won an A.L.-high 9 games for Tampa Bay, while Jack Flaherty’s 10 wins for St. Louis led all of baseball.
  • Atlanta’s Mike Foltynewicz posted a miniscule 1.27 ERA, best in baseball, while Gerrit Cole of New York led the A.L. at a stingy 1.51.
  • Four pitchers had 20 saves: Roberto Osuna, Houston; Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles (N.L.); Hector Neris, Philadelphia; and Daniel Hudson, Washington
  • Division winners were Tampa Bay (38-22), Cleveland (39-21), Houston (44-16), Atlanta (38-22), St. Louis (39-21) and Los Angeles (44-16). 
  • Seven of the first-round series were sweeps, six of those won by the home team/higher seed. Only No. 7 Colorado’s win over No. 2 St. Louis went the full three games.

Strat-O-Matic has experienced unprecedented growth over the past quarter, registering sharp increases in sales, traffic and social numbers. Board and Windows games, digital platform Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365, Website traffic, new users and social media have all seen significant boosts over comparable time periods as fans continue to satiate their thirst for baseball, Strat-O-Matic style, connecting with the game and each other across all of these areas.

FanDuel Gives More Than $80 Million To Customers

With the return of sports this week, every current FanDuel customer with a daily fantasy sports account and/or an online sportsbook account is today waking up to an extra $10 site credit in their account to celebrate the return of sports. Whether a customer signed up today or in 2015, more than $80 million in site credits has been distributed to FanDuel customers to use for daily fantasy contests and legal sports bets as the NBA, NHL and MLB return to action after a long layoff.

“We are excited for the return of sports and wanted to give all of our customers a chance to get in on the action for free,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “Putting more than $80 million in site credits into our customers’ accounts to enter DFS contests or to make legal sports bets is a thank you to our customers for their loyalty during this long stretch without the NBA, NHL and MLB.”

As America’s #1 Sportsbook app and an official partner of the NBA, MLB and NHL, FanDuel leads the industry in customer friendly promotions. FanDuel was the first legal U.S. sports betting operator to offer early payouts for futures wagers, the first to offer Spread the Love where the line was moved in the customer’s favor for every 2500 bets placed on a particular market, the first to offer a Bad Beat Refund as well as daily generous super odds boosts and promotions. To celebrate the Return of Sports, FanDuel is also offering up to a day of risk free betting up to $100 for all users on their first day back to the site from 7/21-8/2.

The more than $80 million site credit giveaway will be accompanied by an advertising campaign with a new television commercial beginning July 22. The $10 provided to customers will be in the form of either FanDuel DFS site credit or FanDuel Sportsbook site credit. There are no state restrictions and the special offer is available to new and current customers. Customers will need to use the $10 by August 2 or the site credit will be voided.

N.L. Downs A.L., 7-2, in Strat-O-Matic Simulation; Slim Jim Phantom Tops Drew Carey Managing Squads

Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich’s two-run home run in the fourth inning was one of five circuit clouts in the game as the National League topped the American, 7-2, in Strat-O-Matic’s simulation of the All-Star Game Tuesday night. TV host Drew Carey (American) and musician Slim Jim Phantom (National) managed the teams during a live video stream on Wizard World Virtual Experiences.

Fans can watch a replay of the contest on Twitch, Facebook or YouTube.

Yelich’s shot gave the N.L. a 2-0 lead. One out later, Matt Carpenter of St. Louis followed with another blast for a 3-0 edge for Phantom’s squad.

Carey’s Junior Circuit team pulled to within 3-2 in the sixth, but three runs in the bottom of the frame put the game out of reach.

“It’s just great to be part of this,” said Phantom, an avid baseball and Strat-O-Matic fan who hosts a fantasy baseball show on SiriusXM Radio, following the victory. “It’s keeping baseball going. We were all going crazy, and Strat-O-Matic was so helpful, we’ve been able to play fantasy ball all year. The same thing I love about Strat-O-Matic when I was a kid I love about it now.”

“I’ve been playing this game since the ’70s,” added Carey, a member of several Strat-O-Matic leagues, including one with Phantom. “I used to play my brother all the time, some of my fondest memories of growing up and always loved the game.”

Max Scherzer of Washington earned the win with a scoreless inning. Gerrit Cole of the Yankees gave up the three fourth-inning runs and took the loss.

Strat-O-Matic will continue its simulation of the regular season until the teams return to action on the field. Fans can follow the action, updated daily at 2 p.m. ET, at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/.

Replay: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/679963416

Broncos, BetMGM Agree To Multi-Year Sports Betting Partnership

image: .sanden.

The Denver Broncos and BetMGM, a market-leading sports betting and gaming platform from ROAR Digital, LLC – the joint venture between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings (LSE: GVC), announced today that they have entered into a multi-year agreement.

As an official sports betting partner of the Broncos, BetMGM and MGM Resorts will provide premium fan experiences, including a new BetMGM Lounge at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, VIP travel packages, and benefits through MGM Resorts’ loyalty program, M life Rewards. The strategic partnership also includes a free-to-play mobile game, digital marketing assets, and in-stadium promotions and signage.

“This partnership with the Broncos allows us to showcase not only a premier BetMGM sports betting and gaming platform, but also the world-class entertainment experiences delivered by MGM Resorts,” said BetMGM’s Chief Marketing Officer Matt Prevost. “We’re excited to bring both of these to Broncos fans at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium and across the country, while offering BetMGM users new ways to engage with their favorite football team.”

The BetMGM Lounge, located on the Level 1 concourse adjacent to Gate 4 and outside Section 111/112, will allow fans 21 years of age and older access to a full-service premium bar, a luxury lounge, live odds and assistance with BetMGM’s mobile app. Additional in-stadium promotions, highlighted by BetMGM’s season-long First Possession Payoff, will be announced at a later date.

The free-to-play game will be available to Broncos fans directly on The Bronco’s official mobile app. The game will offer eligible fans the opportunity to test their sports prediction skills and win MGM Resorts prizes, including trips to MGM Resorts properties nationwide.

Denver Broncos Chief Commercial Officer Mac Freeman said, “When we began the process of identifying potential partners in this category, our goal was to provide Broncos fans with unique ways to engage with sports betting. Together with BetMGM, we can now offer our fans and M life Rewards members in Colorado new opportunities such as in-stadium gaming lounge, VIP travel packages to MGM Resorts around the country and a free-to-play game through our mobile app.”

BetMGM recently launched in Colorado in partnership with the Midnight Rose Hotel and Casino. The BetMGM mobile app is available for download in Colorado on both iOS and Android. New customers to the BetMGM Colorado app will receive $100 in free bonus credit when placing a first bet of $10 or more on any Denver Broncos Game or Broncos future wager using bonus code BRONCOS at registration. For more information, follow @BetMGM on Twitter.

Strat-O-Matic Creates Ultimate Family Rivalry With Father’s Day Series Simulation

Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Jr., credit: Wikimedia Commons/Google Man (Sr.), and DR. Buddie (Jr.)

For many families, baseball has been an integral part of Father’s Day for years, and although the pros won’t be on the field this Sunday to help dads celebrate with their children, Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, is keeping the tradition alive by playing out a seven-game series featuring some of the greatest fathers and sons to compete on the diamond. From Bobby and Barry Bonds to Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. to Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Jr. to Sandy, Sandy Jr. and Roberto Alomar, the Fathers and Sons teams, managed by big league skippers Bob and Aaron Boone, will battle it out, with results to be published on Sunday.

Some of the other father-son combinations featured on the respective 30-man squads are Tom and Dee Gordon, Dante and Bo Bichette, Clay and Cody Bellinger, Tony Gwynn Sr. and Jr., Craig and Cavan Biggio, Mel and Todd Stottlemyre, Ivan and Dereck Rodriguez, and Lance McCullers Sr. and Jr. Strat-O-Matic will utilize the best seasons of these standout players in creating the “cards” used in the simulation. Toronto’s current trio of big league progenies Bichette, Biggio and Guerrero are among the standouts for the sons’ side.

“We wanted to find a uniquely ‘Strat-O-Matic’ way to pay tribute to fathers enjoying baseball with their sons and daughters on their special day,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder, whose son Adam is the company president. “With so many fathers and sons, many of them Hall of Famers and All-Stars, on rosters throughout baseball history, this fun simulation will highlight some of the best family connections the sport has known.”

Full rosters for the teams with their primary teams are as follows:

Fathers (manager: Bob Boone):

Mel Stottlemyre, p., New York (A.L.)

Floyd Bannister, p. Seattle, Chicago (A.L.)

Dizzy Trout, p., Detroit

Clyde Wright, p., California

Tom Gordon, p., Kansas City, Boston (A.L.), Philadelphia (N.L.)

Pedro Borbon, p., Cincinnati

Jeff Russell, p., Texas

Lance McCullers, p., San Diego

Steve Bedrosian, p., Atlanta, Philadelphia (N.L.)

Paul Quantrill, p., Toronto, Boston (A.L.)

Jeff Shaw, p., Los Angeles (N.L.), Cincinnati, Montreal

Bryan Harvey, p., California, Florida

Ivan Rodriguez, c., Texas, Detroit

Fred Kendall, c., San Diego

Tony Perez, 1b., Cincinnati, Montreal

Craig Biggio, 2b., Houston

Buddy Bell, 3b., Cleveland, Texas, Cincinnati

Maury Wills, ss., Los Angeles (N.L.)

Cecil Fielder, 1b.-d.h., Detroit, Toronto

Sandy Alomar, inf., California, Atlanta, New York (A.L.)

Dick Nen, 1b., Washington (A.L.)

Clay Bellinger, ut., New York (A.L.)

Fernando Tatis, 3b., St. Louis (N.L.), Montreal, New York (N.L.)

Bob Oliver, ut., Kansas City, California

Felipe Alou, of., Atlanta, San Francisco, New York (A.L.)

Tony Gwynn, of., San Diego

Ken Griffey, of., Cincinnati, New York (A.L.)

Bobby Bonds, of., San Francisco, California

Dante Bichette, of., Colorado, California

Vladimir Guerrero, of.-d.h., Montreal, Los Angeles (A.L.)

Sons (manager: Aaron Boone)

Lance McCullers Jr., p., Houston

Todd Stottlemyre, p., Toronto, St. Louis (N.L.)

Brian Bannister, p., Kansas City

Steve Trout, p., Chicago (N.L.), Chicago (A.L.)

Robb Nen, p., Florida, San Francisco

Jaret Wright, p., Cleveland

James Russell, p., Chicago (N.L.)

Pedro Borbon, p., Atlanta, Toronto

Cam Bedrosian, p., Los Angeles (A.L.)

Cal Quantrill, p., San Diego

Hunter Harvey, p., Baltimore

Dereck Rodriguez, p., San Francisco

Darren Oliver, p., Texas, Los Angeles (A.L.)

Sandy Alomar Jr., c., Cleveland, Chicago (A.L.)

Jason Kendall, c., Pittsburgh, Oakland

Prince Fielder, 1b., Milwaukee, Texas, Detroit

Roberto Alomar, 2b., Toronto, San Diego, Cleveland

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3b., Toronto

Dee Gordon, 2b., Los Angeles (N.L.), Miami

David Bell, inf., Philadelphia (N.L.), Seattle, St. Louis (N.L.)

Bret Boone, 2b., Seattle, Cincinnati

Eduardo Perez, 1b., St. Louis, Cincinnati, California

Bump Wills, 2b., Texas

Cavan Biggio, ut. Toronto

Bo Bichette, ss., Toronto

Fernando Tatis Jr., ss., San Diego

Travis Shaw, inf., Milwaukee, Boston

Barry Bonds, of., San Francisco, Pittsburgh

Ken Griffey Jr., of., Seattle, Cincinnati

Moises Alou, of., Montreal, Chicago (N.L.), Houston

Cody Bellinger, of., Los Angeles

Tony Gwynn Jr., of, Milwaukee, San Diego, Los Angeles (N.L.)

Strat-O-Matic 365 Adds League Commissioner Feature For Baseball, Football Online Games

credit: Mike Morbeck

With live sports still on hold (though hopefully coming back soon!), fantasy leagues have been looking for ways to keep their members together, combining their love of baseball and football with the camaraderie that goes with participating with friends. And for the first time, the popular Baseball 365 and Football 365 products from Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, give commissioners the tools to manage leagues of recent and all-time great rosters, with games simulated daily, just like regular fantasy sports.

Commissioner league users can invite specific guests to compete, incorporate league settings, draft teams at any pace, and even fill out spots with computer-controlled “bot” teams. Players serve as GM and manager, setting lineups, pitching rotations and managing styles (baseball) or starters, schemes and tendencies (football) for a realistic fantasy experience.

Baseball 365 Commissioner leagues can choose from the 2019 season, a new “All-Time Greats 9” set of more than 5,300 cards, additional single-seasons of 1982, 1986, 1999, 2007 through  2018, or mystery card sets from every decade from the 1960s through the 1990s. Football featured cards include the 2018 season, as well as an All-Time Franchises set with greats dating all the way back to the 1940s.

“Many Strat-O-Matic players are also huge fantasy sports fans, and just like Strat-O-Matic leagues stay together for years, a lot of the fun of fantasy is playing with your friends” said John Garcia, Strat-O-Matic’s Director of Research and exec-in-charge of 365. “There’s nowhere else to go right now to buy out a fantasy league in baseball or football with your friends.”

“The Commissioner leagues combine the excitement and strategy of Baseball 365 and Football 365 with the convenience and control that keep leagues and friends together,” said Bernie Hou, Director of 365 for Strat-O-Matic.

Monkey Knife Fight Partners With San Diego Padres As Official Fantasy Sports Site

Monkey Knife Fight (MKF), the fastest growing gaming platform in North America, announced a new partnership with the San Diego Padres. As the Official Fantasy Sports Partner of the Padres, MKF will be prominently displayed on signage at Petco Park and on all the Padres’ social media outlets.

In addition to the partnership, Monkey Knife Fight has contributed $50,000 to The Padres Foundation. The foundation is focusing their efforts during this pandemic on food insecurity and support for frontline workers in addition to their other outreach initiatives supporting the San Diego community.

“The Padres are excited to partner with MKF to grow and expand their tremendous lineup of fantasy sports platforms,” said Erik Greupner, President of Business Operations for the Padres. “Their very generous donation to The Padres Foundation will also provide much needed resources to combat hunger in the San Diego community during these challenging times.”

Bill Asher, Founder and CEO of Monkey Knife Fight commented, “I am excited to see MKF in such a world class city and to be associated with a team that is so intertwined with the community. The Padres have made it a priority to take care of San Diego’s frontline workers and to help where needed. The foundation has demonstrated the Padres unwavering support for their players, fans, and community.”

Following a similar announcement earlier this month with the Milwaukee Brewers, this signifies a real commitment that MKF is making to Major League Baseball and its fans, especially within these two cities. The moves reinforce MKF’s belief that there is a large appetite among these baseball fan communities to play fantasy sports games that allow them to focus on their local home town teams and favorite players.

Drone Racing League, NBC Sports Network and FanDuel Launch Virtual Drone Racing Series to Benefit Direct Relief

The Drone Racing League (DRL), the world’s premier, professional circuit for drone racing, today announced that the first-ever fantasy virtual drone racing series, the 2020 FanDuel DRL SIM Racing Cup, will premiere on Saturday, May 16 at 2:30pm ET on NBCSN. The series will run for eight weekends on NBCSN and Twitter. The schedule is as follows:

  • Saturday, May 16th at 2:30pm
  • Sunday, May 24th at 3pm
  • Sunday, May 31st at 2pm
  • Sunday, June 7th at 2pm
  • Sunday, June 14th at 1pm
  • Saturday, June 20th at 12pm
  • Sunday, June 28 at 12pm
  • Sunday, July 5th at 12pm
    *Dates and times subject to change

The 2020 FanDuel DRL SIM Racing Cup will feature 12 elite DRL pilots battling it out on the DRL SIM, the true-to-life drone racing simulator, for the chance to be crowned the series’ Champion. Fans tuning in will feel as if they are in the drone’s cockpit as the pros fly digital versions of custom DRL drones through historic DRL maps and never-seen-before tracks, all from their homes around the globe including the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Switzerland.

“DRL authentically merges the digital with the real, so we’re thrilled to highlight the virtual side of drone racing on NBCSN and Twitter starting this Saturday. The high-speed, futuristic racing combined with daily fantasy is great for the whole family — and it’s all for an amazing charity supporting frontline workers,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson.

All pilots have committed to donate their winnings to Direct Relief, the largest charitable provider of protective gear and medical essentials to health facilities in response to Covid-19. The funds donated will help Direct Relief continue to get protective gear to frontline workers during the pandemic.

“Direct Relief is so deeply grateful for the leadership and commitment reflected by the Drone Racing League and its players,” said Thomas Tighe, President and CEO of Direct Relief. “This support translates into immediate, practical help, and is such a wonderful example of everyone pulling together and doing whatever we can to protect those who are most vulnerable.”

Raising Money In A Pandemic: QL Gaming Gets Some Bets

credit: Keith Allison

Not all ventures around sports are sitting still during the Pandemic. While we have seen the dropping numbers and issues with the big gambling businesses, we have seen Draft Kings launch their IPO, and today, New York based QL Gaming Group (QLGG), announced a $1.1 million raise and the acquisition of Finnish sports simulation company, Accuscore. The announcement gives the platform a solid $8.3 million from investors now, and shows that the ruse is probably being shaken off the mobile gaming business as sports slowly return to the pitch, the field and the court.

According to the news, the round was led by Tim and Todd McSweeney, with participation by Boston Seed Capital, Karlani Capital, Subversive Capital, Rob Seaver and Jere Doyle. Other investors have also included the late David Stern, former commissioner of the NBA, John Kosner, Stern’s former partner at Micromanagement Ventures and former William Hill chief Ralph Topping.

“Our thesis is betting properties with the best data and analytics will win, and our acquisition of Accuscore vastly increases our IP, grows our marketplace position and puts us in a very strong place as the sports world returns to active play in the near future,” said Justin Park, QL Gaming CEO in the release. “Our new and long term investors are very bullish on the casual gaming and sports betting market, and we are now poised to emerge stronger.”

The injection of capital will be used to further accelerate BetQL’s growth, which boasted a 200% increase in subscription sales from 2018 to 2019. In just 18 months of launch, BetQL has acquired over 300,000 free users, 10,000 paying customers and is already a seven figure business. Funds will also supercharge BetQL’s burgeoning affiliate marketing business which has partnered with ten operators in Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. QL Gaming initially launched in September 2015 as RotoQL to provide data and analytics to daily fantasy sports (DFS).

The news is good for both investors and companies that had started to build momentum in the gambling space before things came to a grinding halt around March 12. Many industry experts remain bullish on the gambling space, especially with companies who are not debt laden and can easily pivot to a new environment when sports come back to life in the coming weeks. There will also be a solid analysis of best practices, including a great mobile experience, and the QL Gaming plan is tied to all of those objectives.

“For companies looking to enter the sports betting space, there will be some very interesting opportunities in sectors that support the ecosystem, such as specialized sports content, analytics, and software,” added Chris Russo, CEO, Fifth Generation Sports an advisory firm focused on the intersection of sports, technology, and digital media.

Interesting yes, cost effective, disruptive and forward thinking as well.

Keep bringing on the investments.

SportsGrid and Sportradar Announce Multi-Year Agreement to Provide Sports Gaming & Daily Fantasy Real-Time Data & Statistics

SportsGrid, the nation’s leading streaming video platform dedicated to the sports betting and daily fantasy audience, reached a multi-year agreement with Sportradar to power its real-time data, statistics and analytic solutions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sportradar is providing the tools, data products and machine learning technology to enable SportsGrid to provide real-time in-game odds and digital analytics combined with statistical data and graphical visualizations. The Sportradar tools and data products furnish SportsGrid with access to new functionality, robust deep data sets, and comprehensive major sports league coverage within Sportradar’s cutting-edge research platform, Radar360.

With these tools and products, SportsGrid is taking storytelling around betting and fantasy sports to the next level. With access to real-time data in addition to Sportradar’s historical data, consumers can expect exciting, new storylines to emerge from SportsGrid on a regular basis.

“In an age of real-time connections and analysis, the Sportradar agreement broadly expands the capabilities and functionality of the production staff, talent and operational management team. Radar360 reduces the analytic workloads and creates more opportunities for compelling insightful storylines and maximizes our fan engagement across the SportsGrid distribution platform,” said Lou Maione, founder and President of SportsGrid. 

“We are pleased to be working with SportsGrid to bolster its content offerings and increase fan engagement,” said Dave Abbott, MD of US Media, Sportradar. “By adding our real-time data and products like Radar360 to the mix, SportsGrid is supercharging the betting and fantasy content that its consumers already love.”

Strat-O-Matic Baseball Selected By People.com as ‘Best Board Game for Sports Lovers’ For 2020

Strat-O-Matic Baseball

Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, continued an unparalleled month of growth and recognition this week, being selected by People.com as “Best Board Game for Sports Lovers” amongst their list of iconic games that have gained steam during these unusual times. The list includes other classics such as Monopoly, Candor, Scrabble and Candy Land. The entire list can be seen here https://people.com/entertainment/best-board-games/

“While the events of the last six weeks are certainly not what anyone wanted or expected, we continue to forge ahead by providing quality and engaging content on a daily basis, not just for our traditional players, but for thousands of new consumers of every demographic who have found us for the first time or returned to us after time away,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder and president. “We are honored to make this list. and are continuing to find new ways to have consumers connect not just with us but with each other; a connection that we believe will continue into the future.”

Strat-O-Matic is also continuing to run daily MLB 2020 season simulations at http://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/ as well as full simulations of the NBA Playoffs. Basketball results and boxscores can be seen at http://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-basketball-playoffs/

In addition to the recognition, the increased interest is also reflected in sales, traffic and social numbers, which continue on the upswing. Board and Windows games, digital platform Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365, Website traffic, new users and social media have all seen significant boosts over comparable time periods as fans continue to satiate their thirst for baseball, Strat-O-Matic style, connecting with the game and each other across all of these areas.

Some Strat-O-Matic by the numbers highlights include:

  • Baseball Board and Windows platform sales from March 15-31, 2020, are more than 50% higher compared to the same time period in 2019
  • Baseball Board game product sales are more than 60% higher comparing second half of March 2020 to first half of March 2020
  • Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 45% higher comparing second half of March 2020 to first half of March 2020
  • New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 75% higher between March 17-31, 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019
  • Traffic on Strat-O-Matic.com from March 27, 2020, was 472% higher compared to March 27, 2019
  • Since MLB’s scheduled March 26 Opening Day, traffic on Strat-O-Matic.com has been 380% higher compared to the same time frame of 2019
  • Since MLB’s scheduled March 26 Opening Day, new users on Strat-O-Matic.com have been 781% higher compared to the same time frame of 2019

Fans with questions about any facet of the Baseball Daily and Basketball simulations can contact Strat-O-Matic at [email protected].

DraftKings, FanDuel sued by sore losers

Just because someone can do something doesn’t mean they should do it, especially if they’re not proficient at it. A group of individuals is going after DraftKings and FanDuel in court for their daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests, arguing that customers who lost money participating in the competitions should be reimbursed. They assert that the two sports gambling companies were setting them up to lose, knowing that the less proficient players would never be able to compete with the professionals. That’s something most people would consider common sense.

The complaining began in 2016, as told by Casino.org, after a number of players launched claims against the two companies, resulting in the creation of a federal class-action lawsuit that was heard in the US District Court of Massachusetts. That same year, DraftKings and FanDuel were rebuked in New York by then-Attorney General (AG) Eric Schneiderman, who accused them of offering illegal gambling and fraudulent marketing. His attacks, which included threats of multibillion-dollar fines, led to both companies taking a break in the state. The two resumed operations in New York that same year, but also paid a combined $12 million in fines to make the AG happy.

That Massachusetts case was based on the defense that the two operators had “knowingly misled millions of people” by marketing DFS as a contest anyone could win. However, as the plaintiffs could never become millionaires off the activity, either because they didn’t have the experience or the analytical capabilities to make the best choices, they decided that DraftKings and FanDuel must have been lying.

The lawsuit, which brings together individuals from states such as Georgia, Kentucky, New Mexico, South Carolina and Tennessee, asserts, “Defendants thus attracted innocent consumers by knowingly making these false promises and spent hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure it would reach as many consumers as possible.” That essentially sounds like any marketing campaign ever created by any company.

Start Your Engines! PlaySugarHouse.com In New Jersey Is Taking Bets On Virtual NASCAR Races

PlaySugarHouse.com is among the first sportsbooks in the U.S. to drop the flag on virtual NASCAR races. The sportsbook has been approved by New Jersey regulators to offer betting on the 2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. New Jersey players will now be able to place bets on a virtual auto race and the first race in the series they can bet on is the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond on April 19.

The Cup Series races are as realistic as can be, featuring real stars of past and present including Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The series of races, which started March 22, are being broadcast on FOX Sports during typical NASCAR broadcast times and have been huge hits drawing over a million viewers to the fierce iRacing competition.

“We are happy to be able to offer such an exciting and competitive entertainment event,” said Mattias Stetz, C.O.O of Rush Street Interactive, which operates PlaySugarHouse.com. “It’s also fun to see how these talented drivers will compare in the virtual world of competitive racing.”

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is offering exclusive entertainment on the premier motorsports racing simulation; the same one used for years by NASCAR’s biggest stars to prepare for real world race events. This form of virtual sports is different than others because the simulator offers a full NASCAR experience down to the dynamics of the car and the real-life differences between track surfaces being raced on. Ultimately, the eNASCAR iRacing Series offers a competitive edge that traditional console videogames just can’t match.

The virtual racing schedule is designed to follow the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, which had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with the Toyota Owners 400, the virtual NASCAR series includes the Geico 500 at Talledega and the Cup Series race at Dover and looks to make virtual stops at fan-favorite tracks from coast to coast.

DRL, FanDuel Announce First-Ever Fantasy Sports Partnership

The Drone Racing League (DRL), the global, professional drone racing circuit, and FanDuel today announced a fantasy partnership for the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals, the world’s only player-to-pilot esports tournament. As DRL’s first-ever partnership with a fantasy sports provider, FanDuel will have access to official DRL SIM data, along with league marks and logos to create official daily fantasy contests for the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals.

The virtual drone racing showdown live-streams tonight at 9pm ET on DRL’sTwitter,Twitch andYouTube. Thousands of FPV (First Person View) pilot hopefuls from 75 countries entered the fourth annual DRL SIM Tryouts, battling it out across more than 136,000 heats during twelve qualifying tournaments on the DRL Simulator, the true-to-life drone racing sim on Steam — all for the chance to compete tonight and go pro. Tryouts participation skyrocketed by 90% since last year and nearly 2 million fans have already watched the online competitions.

Fans tuning into the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals can enter a free contest on FanDuel for the chance to win a share of $3,000 in FanDuel site credit. The contest follows FanDuel’s standard daily fantasy format, and racers will earn points for winning, finishing second or finishing third in each heat as they navigate virtual DRL drones on a supercharged, 3D track. The champion will earn a professional contract in the league and fly as the DRL SIM Pilot in the 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season, as watched by tens of millions of fans on NBC, Twitter, Sky and other leading sports networks around the world.

“At a time when fans want access to sports competition more than ever, we’re thrilled to live stream the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts, a unique esport that transforms gamers into pro drone pilots overnight, and reward fans with prizes through our exciting new partnership with FanDuel,” said DRL CEO and Founder, Nicholas Horbaczewski.

“We remain as committed as ever to our fans and we’re currently working to develop new and entertaining games for them to engage with,” said Kip Levin, President, FanDuel. “Partnering up with The Drone Racing League allows us to collaborate with an innovative league as we give our fantasy customers more ways to play.”

Merging the virtual with the real, the Tryouts winner will race against the most elite pilots on earth during the 2020 Season, flying custom-built DRL Racer4 drones at 90 MPH through complex courses in iconic venues around the world. Last year, Minnesota native, Christopher “Phluxy” Spangler, was crowned the Tryouts winner and flew in DRL; he made podium three times and even won a level event, showcasing how DRL bridges the digital with the real.

SBG Sports Software Inc Launches With New Office In Chicago

SBG Sports Software is excited to announce the opening of its new North American operation based out of Chicago, IL. headed up by recently appointed VP of Sales and Business Development, Joe Schrimpl.

SBG Sports Software Incorporated will strengthen SBG’s growth in Major League Soccer and US motorsports series whilst offering enhanced local support for existing customers. This investment comes as a direct result of increasing demand for SBG’s next generation sports analytics applications RaceWatch, MatchTracker and Focus.

The appointment of Joe Schrimpl represents a strategic move to expand the SBG product suite to support additional elite sports across North America. Schrimpl is joining with over 20 years of award-winning success in sales and operations throughout the sports technology space. Schrimpl served in various capacities for over 7 years at XOS Digital Inc, serving as Account Manager to numerous professional and collegiate football, basketball and hockey teams for video and data analysis and instant replay. Schrimpl was also a part of National Championship Football staffs, directing the Video and Operations Department at the University of Southern California for nearly 7 years. Schrimpl began his career in sports technology assisting Football, Basketball and Soccer staffs at the University of Miami, Fl and Drake University respectively.

SBG’s global leadership position in professional sports is reflected by customers in 40 countries across 4 continents, with local partners in Spain, Germany, Japan and Australia. A new base in Chicago gives SBG access to elite sports throughout the US and Canada, perfectly located to further enable customer support and new market development across 3 time zones.

Gareth Griffith, CEO of SBG Sports Software comments on the expansion into the US: “Over the last few years we have been applying SBG technology with great success in elite level sports including Formula 1, Premier League football and Six Nations rugby. It has been a long-held ambition to expand into North American sports, which I have personally followed enthusiastically for many years. We are delighted that Joe Schrimpl is joining us to lead our US organisation. His appointment reflects our continued commitment to industry expertise, and we look forward to making significant impact in the US market.”

Joe Schrimpl: “I’ve been in the sports technology industry for many years and SBG’s reputation and position within the market is second to none. Coaching and analysis staff are in constant pursuit of that competitive edge and they deserve a technology partner that is equally competitive, dependable and innovative. SBG brings a unique and unparalleled approach to elite sports data and visualization applications to the US sports industry. I’m thrilled to be joining the SBG Team.”

FOX Bet Becomes Authorized Gaming Operator of the XFL

The XFL and FOX Bet today announced a new deal that makes the mobile sports betting brand an authorized gaming operator of the league.   

FOX Bet will promote and offer XFL-centric betting markets to its customers and create a special FOX Sports Super 6 game for each week of the XFL’s 10-week regular season (Feburary 8 – April 12), and one for its postseason semi-finals (April 18-19) and Championship game (April 26). This special XFL free-to-play game will offer guaranteed cash prizes and be promoted to the FOX Sports Super 6 database of over 1 million customers each week.

“We are thrilled to be an authorized gaming operator of the XFL and part of all the excitement surrounding the league’s kickoff this February,” said Robin Chhabra, CEO of FOX Bet. “Just as they are reimagining the game of football in America, we at FOX Bet are reimagining the sports experience for fans across the country.”

As part of the agreement, FOX Bet has the right to use the XFL’s official data feed, league marks, team logos, player and coach likeness and certain league content across its FOX Bet sports betting app and FOX Sports Super 6 free-to-play game.

“FOX Bet is a leader in mobile sports wagering, and we’re proud to partner with such an important player in the sports betting community,” said Jeffrey Pollack, President and COO of the XFL. “We want what our fans want and legal sports betting is an important part of the fan experience that will allow them to connect more strongly with the XFL.”

FOX Bet, the U.S. sports betting brand of The Stars Group, is currently available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The FOX Sports Super 6 free-to-play game is available nationwide* and gives players a chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars each week. FOX Bet plans to expand its sports betting products into additional states as they legalize and regulate online sports betting.

*Excluding Washington State

New York sports gambling fans awake to devastating news

The old skill vs. chance debate in gambling has reared its ugly head once again, showing that some people simply don’t understand the nuances of what’s involved with certain types of wagers.  In 2016, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo authorized the state’s gaming commission to issue temporary permits for sports gambling companies to get into daily fantasy sports (DFS).  The decision was highly contested at the time and ultimately led to a court deciding that the state legislature couldn’t authorize the activity.  While DFS continued to be debated and an appeal was entered, the games continued.  However, things could be about to change drastically, as an appeals court has now sided with the lower court’s decision – DFS is pure chance, not skill.

Anyone who has ever participated in DFS knows that there is more than just luck involved.  This is why certain people are better at it than others, just like is the case with poker.  They’re better at analyzing moves and plays and setting up their sheets and teams to be winners.  A look at DFS players and their standings is enough to support this conclusion.

That’s not how the courts see it, though, and this is bad news for DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, FantasyDraft and Draft, the five companies who had been issued the temporary DFS licenses.  They are almost certainly scrambling now to work with Attorney General (AG) Letitia James on a plan to take the case to the next level, the New York Court of Appeals.  The AG’s office indicates that it is reviewing the decision and will make a determination on whether or not to proceed with the case.

FanDuel is prepared, should the decision to take things to the next level be made.  It said in a statement, “We expect that there will be an appeal and we’ll be able to continue to offer contests while that appeal is decided.”  DraftKings was right there, as well, adding that the “legislative action authorizing fantasy sports in New York was constitutional and in the best interests of taxpayers and fantasy sports fans.”