New Sports Betting Options as NFL Season Takes Off

By: Jake Gray

The 2024-2025 NFL season is fast approaching—kickoff is set for Thursday night, September 5th, between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in which MVP quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes will duel it out for the fifth time. This is their first matchup since the Chiefs knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs in the AFC Championship Game for the chance to play in the Super Bowl, which the Chiefs won, making them back-to-back champions.

With the anticipation of a new season and fervent bettors, sportsbook operators are rushing to provide new and novel features to keep their existing customers enticed and to attract new ones. Let’s take a look at some.

BetMGM’s Single Digital Wallet Provides Nationwide Access for Nevada Bettors

BetMGM is spearheading efforts in the sports betting industry to streamline the user experience across jurisdictions. The company is introducing a single digital wallet that functions seamlessly in multiple legal betting regions, simplifying the process for users transitioning between different sports betting markets. Users complete their registration once at an MGM Resorts property located in Nevada after downloading and signing up through the BetMGM application. When users travel to a non-Nevada jurisdiction where BetMGM is licensed, users will receive a pop-up message upon opening the app that allows them to switch to their account within the current market—no additional signup necessary. BetMGM currently operates in 29 markets across North America with mobile and retail offerings.^[1]

The feature comes on the heels of a new-and-improved BetMGM mobile application unveiled in Nevada last February “that features an increased variety of Entain’s Angstrom-powered prop and parlay offerings along with digital deposits and withdrawals.” BetMGM’s quarterly report also announced new product enhancements for the start of the 2024 professional football season.

A Big Season for ESPN: Live Sports Betting Show, Fantasy App Integration, and New York Open

Just in-time for the start of the college football season and NFL preseason, ESPN BET Live made its debut on ESPN on August 12th, which will provide sports fanatics with exposure to the sportsbook that now operates in 18 different states over the course of the NFL season. Beyond more mention of odds and wagers, ESPN BET Live provides sports news and analysis presented explicitly from the perspective of sports betting.

The main program debut also coincides with ESPN BET’s pending integration into the ESPN and ESPN Fantasy applications as well as its theScore mobile media application, which will complete within a couple weeks. These innovations capitalize on ESPN’s unique place in the sports data world—the company holds a digital and social reach of 181 million users just last month. “We know that no matter what betting app you’re on, you’re tracking the game on ESPN…We’re now going to package that for you with no work,” said Aaron LaBerge, PENN’s new Chief Technology Officer.^[2]

ESPN BET is also opening up in the New York sports betting market this fall, taking over WynnBet’s place in the most lucrative market in the United States, which will make its total number of jurisdictions 19.

Fanatics Sportsbook Upgrades

Fanatics Sportsbook is rolling out noteworthy product enhancements. The features are slated to launch before the season starts and focus on improving user experience and rewards.

In a unique move, Fanatics is introducing “Fair Play” for prop bets: if a player gets injured in the first quarter and doesn’t return, the bet gets refunded –- a feature that could set them apart in the market as bettors’ complaints grow over bad luck stifling their otherwise perfect same-game parlays.

The sportsbook is also expanding its parlay offerings and introducing live cash-out options. For those who like to bet on every play, new “Lightning Bets” will allow wagers on immediate outcomes within games. Fanatics cites the following examples: “What will be the result of the next play? Will there be a first down on this drive? Can they reach the 20-yard line?”^[3]

Fanatics has also upgraded its loyalty program with FanCash, now offering up to 10% back on bets, no matter whether those bets win or lose. And finally, Fanatics is launching a “Rewards Surge” campaign starting August 29th, offering over 100 Profit Boosts across the first five weeks of football.

DAZN – Viewing Options for International Football Fans

DAZN is a leading international digital sports platform that has partnerships with both the NFL and Amazon Prime to bring NFL games abroad from the United States. International viewers have never had easier access to NFL games.

In 2023, DAZN and the NFL agreed to a 10-year partnership to deliver NFL Game Pass International (NFL GPI) to sports fans around the world starting with the 2023 season.^[4] That deal naturally is in place for the upcoming season. More recently, DAZN and Amazon have agreed a distribution partnership to make NFL Game Pass (NFL GP) available on Prime Video as an add-on subscription in the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico and Brazil.^[5]

Users of the NFL mobile application have immediate access to the DAZN Game Pass offering, which touts all 270+ NFL Games Live and On Demand, NFL Redzone Live, NFL Network 24/7, Super Bowl Live, highlights and game previews, and NFL Originals and other programs.

FanDuel Expands the SGP, Partners with YouTube, and adds Mythical Matchups

FanDuel is launching its partnership with YouTube to offer a new NFL Sunday Ticket offer for bettors. Any FanDuel customer who bets (at least) $5 will receive three free weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV.

Player Quarter Props, Defensive Props, player to catch a pass, and more are also being added to Same Game Parlays, alongside a redesigned Quick Bets tab. Similarly,  FanDuel also made it easier for fans to find their favorite players to bet on with new Player Pages that help them view performance trends on each player and easily place prop bets all in one place.^[6]

Perhaps most notably, FanDuel has unveiled an entirely new betting product called the “Mythical Matchup” where bettors can place head-to-head points spread, over/under, and moneyline bets in a fictional matchup between two college football teams. For instance, while Michigan and Ohio State are facing Fresno State and Akron, respectively, this Saturday, you can place any of those three bets on a matchup between Michigan and Ohio State as if they were playing each other this weekend. The same goes for a whole host of other rivals.

No Winning Bet Surcharge for DraftKing Users

DraftKings announced a winning bet surcharge in certain states where taxes on sports betting revenue are exceptionally high for the operator on August 1st, 2024, which promptly left the whole sports betting world in a frenzy. Amid an abundance of pushback and other operators declining to do the same, DraftKings has called off the plan.

DraftKings bettors in every state can rest easy for the beginning of the NFL season, as there will be no additional deductions on their winnings imposed by the operator.

^[1] https://www.entaingroup.com/news-insights/latest-news/2024/betmgm-sports-betting-app-leads-industry-with-first-seamless-nationwide-access-for-nevada-bettors/

^[2] https://sbcamericas.com/2024/08/08/penn-espn-bet-integration/

^[3] https://investor.fanatics.com/news/news-details/2024/Fanatics-Sportsbook-is-the-Most-Rewarding-Place-for-Fans-to-Play-on-Game-Day/default.aspx

^[4] https://www.dazn.com/en-US/news/american-football/dazn-and-nfl-sign-long-term-global-deal-from-2023-season/7azf7nio2pm11mvim1ypoi711

^[5] https://dazngroup.com/press-room/nfl-game-pass-launches-prime-video-add-on-subscription-through-dazn

^[6] https://press.fanduel.com/press-releases/fanduel-upgrades-betting-experience-for-nfl-kickoff-and-offers-fans-best-place-to-bet-on-hunches