Fanatics Sportsbook Review
Fanatics Sportsbook is the official online sportsbook of sports apparel, merchandise, and memorabilia retailer Fanatics.
After launching in August 2023, Fanatics Sportsbook is now available to bettors 21+ in eligible states.
- Live in 23 States
- Up to $1000 Welcome Bonus
- Earn 5% FanCash On Bets
Fanatics Sportsbook leverages its nearly unlimited financial resources, strong brand recognition, existing relationships with professional sports leagues, and widespread market access to compete with leading brands in the US sports betting industry.
However, all these advantages won’t matter if the app isn’t popular with sports bettors.
So far, the outlook is promising, as Fanatics Sportsbook has already integrated a number of in-demand features and other nuances that differentiate it from other operators, if only modestly.
If Fanatics hopes to gain significant market share, there’s still work to be done, but given the company’s high-profile status and willingness to listen to its users, we expect most shortcomings to be addressed.
In this Fanatics Sportsbook review, BettingUSA takes a deep dive into the highly anticipated app, points out its strengths and weaknesses, and details its welcome bonus for new users.
Pros
Fast Responsive AppGenerous Loyalty ProgramInnovative Search FeaturesSpeedy WithdrawalsCons
Hard to Find In-Play MarketsLimited Recurring PromotionsLimited Sports Betting MarketsFocus On MerchandiseWhich States Is Fanatics Sportsbook Available In?
Fanatics Sportsbook is licensed and available in the following states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington, DC
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Fanatics Sportsbook has aggressive expansion plans as it launches in new states. Check back for the latest on which states Fanatics Sportsbook legally operates in.
Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
Title | Details |
---|---|
Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code | Not Required |
Sportsbook Bonus | Bet and Get up to $1000 in Bonus Bets Bonus issued as $100 no-sweat bets daily for ten days |
Eligible States | AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV, and WY |
Eligibility Period |
|
A Fanatics Sportsbook promo code is not required to claim the latest offer. All bettors receive the bonus automatically after creating and verifying a new account.
Fanatics Sportsbook Bonus Details
New Fanatics Sportsbook customers receive no sweat first bets worth up to $100 in bonus bets daily for ten days after signing up.
Note: This offer is not available in New York. Fanatics Sportsbook NY customers receive a “bet $5, get $50 in bonus bets” offer instead.
Fans can claim this bonus by signing up for accounts and placing a wager of at least $1 at odds of -500 or longer each day for up to ten straight days. If their first qualifying bet on any of their first ten days loses, bettors will receive a 100% refund paid as bonus bets worth up to $100.
For example, a new user who places a qualifying $75 wager on their first day and loses will receive a $75 bonus bet within 72 hours. The bettor in this example may claim the offer up to nine more times over the next nine days.
Bettors can pick and choose which days they claim the offer, but it’s only available for ten days total, beginning the day they register. Anyone who claims the bonus every day can get up to $1,000 in no-sweat bets in total.
Here’s how to claim the Fanatics Sportsbook bonus each day:
- Sign up for a Fanatics Sportsbook account and deposit funds
- Opt-in to the promotion each day by toggling the button for this promo in your betting slip
- Place a $1 or larger bet on any sport at odds of -500 or longer (see terms below for requirements and excluded bet types)
- You’ll receive your bonus bet within 72 hours of the qualifying wager settling
Fanatics Sportsbook Loyalty Program: FanCash
Fanatics Sportsbook has launched a VIP loyalty program that might offer better value than some more comprehensive and nuanced betting rewards programs.
All bettors earn FanCash on their real-money wagers. This virtual currency is the same credit issued to retail customers enrolled in the Fanatics MVP program.
Earn rates are as follows:
- 5% FanCash on same game parlays
- 3% FanCash on parlays
- 1% FanCash on straight bets and SGP/parlays made using an odds boost
FanCash can be redeemed for merchandise discounts on Fanatics.com or for bonus bets.
The minimum redemption threshold for Fanatics Sportsbook bonus bets is just $0.10. This is extremely refreshing considering most online sportsbooks only allow loyalty earnings to be redeemed in $1 or $5 increments.
Once issued, Fanatics bonus bets can only be applied to one wager and must be used within 90 days. To get around this restriction, we suggest redeeming FanCash in increments you’re comfortable with.
Two points of note. The first is that Fanatics deserves credit for being semi-transparent about same game parlays and their massive house edge. The fact that SGPs award a bigger kickback than regular parlays clearly illustrates just how “juiced up” they really are.
Secondly, although the rewards seem minimal, they’re actually quite substantial relative to a bettor’s expected loss.
To clarify, bettors who place straight bets usually give up about 4-5% to the house. Assuming bonus bets are worth about half their cash value (more if utilized correctly), bettors will receive about 10 – 15% of their theoretical losses back.
Similar lossback rates apply to parlay and SGP bettors.
Sharp bettors who line shop and only place wagers on Fanatics Sportsbook at the best available odds can probably get up to 25 – 30% of their theoretical losses returned.
Fanatics Sportsbook Deposit Options
Fanatics Sportsbook accepts minimum deposits of $5.00 for most payment methods, excluding wire transfers ($5,000 minimum) and cash @ retail ($10 minimum).
How To Withdraw From Fanatics Sportsbook
As for Fanatics Sportsbook withdrawals, bettors can initiate payouts via the following methods:
- ACH/Instant Bank Transfer
- PayPal
- Debit Card
- Check by mail
- Venmo
Fanatics Sportsbook indicates that withdrawals take about 2-3 days to process, except for paper checks which take 7-10 days. However, there are multiple reports of customers receiving their payouts instantly.
Also, the minimum withdrawal amount for ACH, debit card, Venmo, and PayPal requests is just $1. That’s unheard of in the online sports betting industry and a compelling reason for micro bettors to give Fanatics a whirl.
A First Look At Fanatics Sportsbook
The Fanatics Sportsbook app is available for iOS and Android-powered devices, and can be downloaded directly from the App Store or Google Play. Bettors can also visit Sportsbook.Fanatics.com from their browser, and click on “Get Access.”
Currently, there is no way to access the sportsbook from desktop or laptop computers.
Originally conceived as BetFanatics, Fanatics Sportsbooks has come a long way since it began beta testing. Now, bettors are treated to an app that is relatively polished, visually gratifying, and stocked with highly customizable features.
Fanatics is also highly responsive to user input and does a respectable job of streamlining the betting process. There isn’t much here that revolutionizes the online sports betting genre, but Fanatics Sportsbook gets a nod for a few unique innovations.
However, Fanatics Sportsbook doesn’t offer nearly as many betting markets as its competitors, and some of its design choices miss the mark.
On top of that, there are a few glaring software bugs that greatly diminish the overall betting experience, and may hurt Fanatics’ bottom line if they aren’t fixed.
The rest of this Fanatics Sportsbook review will examine each facet of its mobile app, including its betting markets, odds, interface, and special features.
Fanatics Sportsbook Betting Markets
Fanatics Sportsbook supports a fair number of sports markets. All the major professional leagues like the MLB, NFL, and NBA receive ample coverage, as do college basketball and football, but some international and niche sports are either covered sporadically or absent entirely.
Sports markets vary slightly by season, but these are the markets available at the time of this review:
- Baseball
- Basketball (NBA, WNBA, and NCAAB)
- Football (NFL, NCAAF, and CFL)
- Hockey
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Golf
- MMA
- Motor Sports (NASCAR and F1)
- Table Tennis
- Volleyball
Popular international sports like rugby and cricket are hard to find, and the soccer betting menu only displays a few leagues. Fanatics Sportsbook also doesn’t offer many markets for cycling, darts, handball, and snooker.
On the other hand, Fanatics boasts a very active tennis market and hangs a decent variety of bets for popular US pro and college sports.
Admittedly, even the biggest betting markets still feel lacking compared to the industry’s leading operators, but at least a concerted effort is being made.
Fanatics Sportsbook offers the following bet types, in greater or lesser volume depending on the market:
- Moneylines: Two-way and three-way moneylines (where applicable) are offered
- Spreads: These markets include a healthy array of alternative spreads for major professional and collegiate sports
- Totals: Fanatics tends to offer as many alternative totals as alternative spreads
- Props: Game, props, and team props are available for major sports; less so for smaller markets
- Derivatives: Bettors can place wagers on the first five innings of an MLB game, or the 1st quarter/half of NBA and NFL games, among other partial game wagers
- Parlays: Bettors can stack several bets together from different games to form a parlay, or from a single game to create a same game parlay. Fanatics SGP menus are reasonably dense, offering everything from spreads, totals, game props, and player props.
- Futures: Fanatics offers futures on select sports, although the betting options are limited
- In-play: Bettors are treated to a suitable menu of in-play options, spanning props, main markets like spreads, and alternative lines. There’s even a limited capacity to create in-play SGPs.
At present, the two biggest omissions are teasers and round robins. Typically, these options can be selected from the bet slip, but we couldn’t find them on Fanatics Sportsbook.
Fanatics Sportsbook Betting Odds
Fanatics Sportsbook’s core platform and sports wagering system is powered by source code from Amelco. Previously, Amelco provided code for several now-defunct US sportsbooks, including FOX Bet, Fubo, PlayUP, and WynnBet. That may not be the most glowing resume, but these brands failed for reasons that extended beyond their platforms and betting odds.
Fanatics will receive a second data feed once its acquisition of PointsBet is complete, which should help to sharpen its sports betting tech even further. PointsBet is currently powered by Banach Technology, which it in 2021.
A cursory glance at Fanatics Sportsbook’s betting odds reveals pricing that is pretty close to industry standards. Fanatics Sportsbook does take its own positions more frequently than the average US sportsbook, but not by a significant margin.
The vigorish levied on most wagers is also aligned with the larger US sports betting industry. A few notable comparisons:
- The house edge on popular MLB main market bets like run lines, totals, and moneylines ran slightly higher on Fanatics compared to FanDuel and DraftKings, but lower than BetMGM
- Prop margins were roughly the same across the board compared to DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, and BetMGM, although Fanatics was a bit more prone to take positions on exotic markets
- Fanatics bettors will pay slightly higher taxes on NFL moneylines compared to most other major sportsbooks. However, point spreads and totals were priced at standard -110/-110 odds
- The vigorish on Super Bowl futures was 19.1%, and on NFC/AFC Conference Championship futures, it was 14.5%. In both cases, that’s considered better than average.
Fanatics Sportsbook really stood out with its NFL alternative lines. Not only does the app post more than 60+ early alt spreads and totals for every NFL game, but the house edge averages out to under 5%.
In our opinion, Fanatics Sportsbook should be on every smart line shopper’s smartphone, if only because it takes minor positions on some lines and offers great betting odds on alternative lines.
Fanatics Sports Betting App
While there’s nothing groundbreaking about the Fanatics Sportsbook app, it does challenge quite a few traditional development norms. In some cases, its ambitious design philosophy pays off, and in others, it falls short of the target.
The differences are apparent immediately, starting with Fanatics’ extremely visual and unconventional homepage. Instead of merely listing odds for live and upcoming games of interest, the homepage weaves in banners and displays for odds boosts, promoted prop bets, futures markets, and marquee events.
Also, it appears that the homepage is suited to a bettor’s preferences.
For instance, users who frequently browse Premier League lines are more likely to see soccer markets listed above the fold. It’s an innovative approach to sportsbook design and one that sports fans should appreciate, but does feel a bit dizzying.
Furthermore, there aren’t enough lines posted on the homepage. Whereas other online sportsbooks may list 50-100 events, Fanatics tops out at about 20.
Bettors can access different betting markets from one of the many navigational bars scattered throughout the homepage, or more reliably, by tapping “Schedule.” From this page, betting odds are listed in a more traditional format. However, there are a few issues.
The first is that there’s no apparent way to display leagues in a condensed view. This isn’t a huge deal when it comes to markets like football and baseball, but for sports like soccer that span hundreds of leagues, pinpointing games can be frustrating.
On a more positive note, the Fanatic Sportsbook app loads incredibly fast, lines update quickly, and the software is highly responsive to user input.
The bet slip is a little glitchy but a simple patch should address any withstanding issues.
Fanatics Betting App: Special Features
Fanatics Sportsbook has integrated a few features into its app, that could eventually shape how other operators evolve their mobile betting platforms:
- Advanced search feature: From the homepage, bettors can search for leagues, teams, athletes, events, and promotions and place wagers directly from the search results. For instance, if a bettor types “Pete Alonso” into the search bar, they’ll get immediate access to all of his player props, as opposed to having to dig through various submenus and categories.
- Quick bets: Bettors can save three different “Quick Bet” sizes in their bet slips. From that point forward, they can simply tap on the bet size they’d like to use, and it’ll be instantly inputted into the wagering field. This proves a huge time saver for bettors who consistently use the same unit sizes.
- User customization: Not only does Fanatics Sportsbook use algorithms to personalize your homepage, but you can go to the account management section to customize your Quick Bet features, odds display, and notifications.
- Same Game Parlays: Popular SGPs were part of Fanatics Sportsbook’s launch product and are already well fleshed out. Eligible markets have an integrated SGP tab where bettors can easily piece together their wagers. Fanatics displays odds for all SGP legs, which is a nice touch that other sportsbooks would be nice to employ. Bettors can place SGPs one at a time or combine multiple SGPs from different games into “SGP Stacks.”
- Enhanced golf betting: Fanatics Sportsbook offers an in-play golf betting area where fans can see shot-by-shot data, view the tournament leaderboard, and explore course maps from within the app.
Fanatics Sportsbook In-Play Wagering
Fanatics Sportsbook realizes the importance of providing a solid in-play experience. For major sporting events, in-play menus have as wide a scope as pregame markets.
Live betting lines update quickly, and the odds are in line with industry norms.
For instance, if a pregame spread is listed at -110/-110 then the in-play line is just slightly higher, usually around -113/-113 to -115/-115. The extra juice is offset by market uncertainty.
As mentioned, there’s no way to exclusively access in-play markets, but most live games are listed from either the homepage or within individual market pages.
To keep up with the competition, Fanatics will need more in-play features. Currently, there are no microbetting options and bettors can’t stream events or view advanced game stats from within the app.
The ability to place granular bets on the outcome of the next at-bat in baseball, or next possession in basketball, and to view them unfolding in near real-time is quickly becoming industry standard.
Fanatics Sportsbook Customer Service
Fanatics Sportsbook offers a dedicated Help Center that’s well-planned and intelligently categorized. Bettors should have no problem finding answers to the most queries.
Help Center topics can be sorted by topic or by “Trending”.
BettingUSA found the latter option particularly helpful because it led us to the most common questions other bettors had about the app,
There’s also an option to live chat with support. Upon initiating the chat option, customers will first have to navigate an automated system that was surprisingly helpful.
In addition, it was fairly easy to bypass the system and chat with an agent via live chat, send an email, or submit feedback.
The Fanatics Sportsbook Origin Story
Fanatics Sportsbook has been in the works for several years. The earliest indication that removed all doubt occurred in June 2021, when Fanatics former FanDuel CEO Matt King as the head of Fanatics Betting & Gaming.
Fanatics also made a play at the New York sports betting market in 2021 by submitting a bid for one of the state’s nine online sportsbook licenses. The bid failed after New York regulators selected other operators that already have experience in the US market.
However, Fanatics ultimately entered the New York market after completing its purchase of PointsBet, which had NY market access.
In May 2022, Sports Business Journal that Fanatics had posted a LinkedIn note that included notices of 40 job openings at Fanatics Betting & Gaming.
Later, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin to sell his stake in Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the 76ers and New Jersey Devils, because league rules prohibit team owners from operating sports betting platforms.
Fanatics Sportsbook Acquires PointsBet US
In early 2022, rumors began swirling that Fanatics was considering buying and rebranding an established sports betting operator. Rubin initially denied the rumors when he :
“We’ll grow organically and by M&A, but we’re not interested in any M&A in the US. In the US, the companies are losing so much money, they just aren’t attractive acquisition targets for us yet. Overseas, there’s much better businesses that could be interesting.”
However, the acquisition rumors persisted. indicated Fanatics was in talks to acquire competing online sportsbook Tipico, but talk of that deal faded without action.
Instead, Fanatics Sportsbook a $150 million deal with PointsBet to purchase the company’s US assets, including its sports betting and online casino operations. After shareholder and regulator approval, the deal granted Fanatics Sportsbook access to a number of states with legal online sports betting via PointsBet’s existing market access agreements.
Fanatics Sportsbook FAQ
Expert Opinion: Is Fanatics Sportsbook Legit?
Yes. Fanatics Sportsbook is the product of Fanatics, Inc, the nation’s largest sports merchandise and collectibles retailer. In addition, Fanatics Sportsbook will only operate in states where it has sports betting licenses.
That’s not to say Fanatics Sportsbook has been fine-tuned to perfection. The app is a bit glitchy, the UI can be jarring, and there’s a desire for more betting markets.
Yet, on the whole, it’s a well-conceived betting app that offers fair odds, modern conveniences, and solid kickbacks.
Fanatics Sportsbook’s biggest challenge will be scratching out market share in the highly competitive online sports betting industry.
Operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings have been involved in daily fantasy and sports betting for over a decade. They have name-brand recognition, experience, and established user bases.
However, Fanatics, Inc. has the benefits of immense funding, a wide advertising footprint, and a database of over 80 million existing customers. Getting its name in front of potential bettors will be the least of its challenges.