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FanDuel Predicts has officially launched in 13 new states, bringing the total to 18. We are talking about the big dogs like California, Texas, and Florida finally getting a seat at the table.
“We’re giving our customers a new platform to engage with the world around them—whether that’s the next Fed rate decision or a sports event,” James Cooper, senior vice president, flywheel and new ventures at FanDuel, said.
The Lucky 13 Join the Ranks
Before this week the app was only live in a handful of places like Alabama, Alaska, and the Dakotas. Now the map is looking a lot more crowded. The new additions include California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Delaware, and Hawaii. You can also add Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, and New Mexico to that list along with Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Utah.
FanDuel is basically targeting every major state where traditional online sports betting is currently illegal or stuck in a legal mudfight. By launching here, they are capturing a chunk of the population that has been dying for a legal way to predict games.
A Sunset Clause
You might be wondering how they are doing this without getting a visit from the local sheriff. The answer lies in the legal wording. FanDuel Predicts does not offer “bets” but rather “event contracts.” This platform is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which is the same group that watches over oil and gold futures.
But that’s not all the coverage FanDuel is leaning on in their Prediction Markets venture. They are basically telling states that their sports contracts are just a temporary fling. They promised to pull the sports trading side of the app the very second a state legalizes real sports betting.
If you ask me, I’ll say this sunset clause is a total genius move because it stops state regulators from seeing them as a permanent threat to their future tax money. Neither is the tribal gaming body seeing them as a threat as well.
On the other hand, operators like Kalshi and Polymarket are currently getting dragged into messy lawsuits in Nevada and Tennessee.
The Big Partnership and the Rules
FanDuel teamed up with the CME Group, which is one of the biggest names in financial derivatives, to make this whole thing work. They even launched non-sports markets nationwide on January 15, so people in all 50 states can now trade on the S&P 500 or the price of gas.
If you want to sign up, you need to know a few things first. This is a standalone app, so you cannot just use your regular FanDuel Sportsbook login and expect your balance to be there. You have to create a separate account and go through a full “Know Your Customer” process with your ID and social security number. There is also a small two percent transaction fee on your potential payout when you buy in or cash out early.
