FanDuel to host Madden NFL esports betting event in NJ
Sharpr is a weekly newsletter covering the intersection of esports and betting
Hi everyone, Cody here.
Big news this week that my followers may have seen online: I’ve officially accepted a position with the Canadian sports betting operator Rivalry. I’ll be working across various forms of media, content, and communications with the team, and excited for all the cool work I’ll get to share with this community in the not-so-distant future.
As you may be wondering: what does this mean for the newsletter? For now, I’ll continue to keep up with my weekly coverage with the same integrity and spicy opinions since the beginning.
This week, we’ve got a lighter issue on par with a slow news week in the sector, but we are tracking rumblings that FanDuel is involved in a Madden NFL esports betting event. More on this below.
In this week’s edition of Sharpr…
FanDuel to host Madden NFL esports betting event in NJ.
GRID, KRAFTON unveil official Fantasy PUBG Esports product.
Headlines and data from the week.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please consider subscribing.
FanDuel to host Madden NFL esports betting event in NJ
FanDuel has partnered with media and events company COMPETE4EVER Esports to host and facilitate fixed-odds wagering on Madden NFL matches during an event at Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment in New Jersey. This information is according to a social post from Larry Ridley, a commentator for the gaming organization and former employee of Electronic Arts.
The event, Madden at the Meadowlands, will allow attendees to participate in fixed-odds betting on live “player vs. player” Madden NFL matches.
There is no other information about the event online, but the promotional graphic says more details are coming soon.
Ridley notably served as the voice of the Madden NFL franchise as an in-game commentator between 2014-2018.
COMPETE4EVER is a New York-based organization sanctioned by EA Sports to operate live tournaments for the Madden Championship Series, according to its website.
The organization has previously hosted esports events at gambling properties in the past, including at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and the Rivers Casino & Resort in New York. Madden at the Meadowlands will be the first event allowing live, fixed-odds wagering on the competition.
Sharpr has reached out to Fanduel for more information on the event.
🦈 Sharpr Take: While we’re unable to verify the details of this event or FanDuel’s involvement, the activation as outlined online would signal a certain level of interest in the esports space that we haven’t seen from a tier-one operator since the pandemic swept all live sports from underneath us.
The event is reminiscent of Esports Entertainment Group’s Madden NFL wagering tournament held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City in March. The two-day tournament allowed players to legally place bets on themselves to win 1-vs-1 matches of Madden NFL 21 against their opponents using a software developed by EEG, as opposed to the fixed-odds that will be offered at Madden at the Meadowlands.
We’ll revisit this story once we’re able to confirm further details.
GRID, KRAFTON unveil official Fantasy PUBG Esports product
Esports data company GRID and game developer KRAFTON have partnered with daily fantasy sports platform ThriveFantasy to develop a PUBG: Battlegrounds esports fantasy product.
The PUBG Esports fantasy platform is set to launch this month, coinciding with the PUBG Global Champions tournament.
Users can create rosters, combine player props, and predict match results during the tournament’s grand finals.
The platform will be exclusive to North American audiences only.
ThriveFantasy offers a mix of traditional sports and esports, from the NBA, NFL, and MLB to Valorant, Dota 2, and League of Legends. The platform offers real-money rewards for correct match predictions.
GRID Esports CEO Moritz Maurer commented: “At GRID, we are committed to enabling the sustainable growth of the industry we are passionate about, ensuring the official data, and right holders are at the heart of it.
“The opportunity to be part of this project and contribute to creating such exceptional esports fans’ experience with our gameplay data infrastructure, is a big milestone for our team, and recognition for our values and technology.“
ThriveFantasy’s first foray into esports arrived in the form of a partnership with Envy Gaming in 2020, and has since increased its portfolio of title offerings.
🗞 In the news
Team Secret has partnered with Parimatch.
Midnite has launched on the OddsChecker sports betting grid.
Sportsflare has reached a licensing agreement with DFS company No House Advantage.
📈 By the numbers
Esports is expected to reach 31.4 million monthly viewers in the United States in 2023.
Nevada recorded $1.24 billion in betting revenue in September.