Fanatics Sportsbook Opens Operations in Louisiana

The Relatively New Book Keeps Growing

Fanatics eyes Louisiana's growing sports betting market
Fanatics leverages apparel for unique betting rewards
Retail presence strengthens Fanatics' Louisiana market entry

4 weeks ago0 64 3 minutes readGambling News

by Marc Lu Design

Fanatics Aims To Be Different Than Other Operators
Connections With Retail Books

Add Louisiana to the list of states that new entrants to the legal online sports betting marketplace Fanatics is set to begin operations in. The Fanatics Sportsbook Louisiana launch signifies Pelican State as the 22nd market to which Fanatics Sportsbook has expanded. Fanatics has morphed from just being a supplier of fan and official merchandise into the sportsbook game and, so far, things are looking good for the offshoot of Michael Rubin’s company.

Louisiana was relatively late to the legal online sports betting game. Still, after seeing how so many other states have been able to profit off of legalization, the state followed suit. It has taken in over $3 billion in legal wagers in 2024 alone, with over $170 million in bets in July.

While the title of best sports betting app in terms of overall revenue and market share in Louisiana would still go to DraftKings or Fanduel, it’s possible that Fanatics could turn into that third major operators which competitors like BetMGM or Caesars have tried, and failed, to become.

The Louisiana market is also a growing one as the betting handle taken in by operators is up 37 percent on a year-over-year basis. Louisiana will never be confused with a betting giant like New York or Nevada or New Jersey, but, for a relatively small state, it is certainly holding its own and it seems like the limit to how big it can become still is far away from being reached. For Fanatics, that’s great news to be sure.

Fanatics Aims To Be Different Than Other Operators

While the Fanatics Sportsbook launch in Louisiana understandably looks much like the launch of others sportsbooks in Louisiana or even those around the country, Fanatics — with the expansion of its sportsbook operations — is seeking not only to challenge the more established companies to actually grow as a sportsbook but also to further integrate its sprawling branded and licensed clothing empire.

Fanatics, to the chagrin of many fans and even players, has become an integral part of the merchandising landscape in both the NHL and MLB.

Now, as the name “Fanatics” continues to permeate throughout the country, this in the sportsbook context, more and more fans (i.e. potential customers) will think of the company. It’s not like Nike or Adidas are even contemplating sportsbook operations whatsoever.

Along those lines, Fanatics also allows bettors to earn FanCash by placing bets which, in turn, can be exchanged for Fanatics apparel. So, by live betting, regardless of whether they win or lose, bettors can actually get real merchandise.

That sounds like a very unique loyalty-type program and incentive to get bettors to try a new operator they might not consider otherwise. Because Fanatics is firstly a clothing company, it has the ability to leverage its status outside of the gambling space to provide a service that other operators just aren’t able to fully compete with. That’s a very smart way to try and grow.

Connections With Retail Books

A critical part of the Fanatics Sportsbook launch in Louisiana is that Fanatics has taken over PointsBet’s operations, giving it a least some kind of existing base from which to work. It’s not like Fanatics has had to create an entirely brand-new betting platform from scratch which certainly should help with regards to gaining a foothold in the market.

Having to create all of that new infrastructure to have an operational online sportsbook is often a major barrier to entry for new operators. Fanatics already has that component of things covered.

Also, Fanatics Sportsbook is partnering with a pre-existing retail betting location — the Boomtown Casino and Hotel — as it enters the New Orleans market. Although Boomtown Casino isn’t as big or influential as Harrah’s in the Big Easy, it still gives Fanatics a retail betting footprint to establish itself in a new city.

Louisiana has long had a strong in-person casino industry so it’s only natural for a new online sportsbook to want to have some kind of physical base from which to spread the word of its online offerings.

Another aspect that should work in Fanatics Sportsbook’s favor is that the NFL and college football are almost back and football betting should allow for Fanatics to have a nice ease-in to its first couple of months of operations in such a football-crazed state.

The summer can always be tough for sportsbooks, especially in places where Major League Baseball isn’t nearly as popular. So, having football return should bode very well for Fanatics because it’ll want to start the year strong as it tries to build up a customer base and attention.