Fanatics expands with betting app beta in Maryland

Fanatics entered the state of Maryland via a partnership with FedEx Field in January this year and secured through a license with Maryland Stadium Sub LLC, several media sources reported. The company agreed to open the first retail sportsbook location on January 20 and has been preparing to scale its offer ever since.

Following the recent launches in Tennessee and Ohio, and further plans for Massachusetts, Fanatics has now also embarked on further testing of its capabilities in Maryland, another important state, various media outlets reported over the weekend.

The beta is aligned with how the pilot test happened in other states, with access to the app presently limited only to people who have a registration for a Fanatics’ apparel and merchandise account. However, how successful Fanatics is performing so far is difficult to tell.

For one, Tennessee, a state where the app is already live, does not offer individual breakdowns of sportsbooks and what they amass in terms of revenue. Then, there is Ohio, which is yet to release its full-month results, which will offer the first glimpse into how well the company has been doing.

Then, there is Massachusetts with the company yet to go live in the Bay State. Additionally, there have already been some headwinds. For one, Fanatics was admonished by the Ohio Casino Control Commission for what was considered inappropriate advertising practices that overlapped between the company’s merchandise and sports betting activities.

Fanatics’ hopes to make a big impact in markets have not been dampened by this temporary setback, as the company seeks to calibrate its product offer and seeks to best leverage its massive database of consumer data and make it translate into stronger sports wagering results.

Fanatics has already allocated a lot of money trying to make its sports wagering division work. Most recently, the company bought out PointsBet’s’ North American assets, with a particular focus on the United States. Now, the company hopes to be live in 15 seasons before the upcoming National Football League season. Maryland is an important step in this direction.

Image credit: Fanatics.com