Poll results: Readers sceptical of DFS in Europe
Voters unconvinced that daily fantasy formats can ever be profitable this side of the pond
Daily fantasy is unlikely to make a major impact on the European gambling market, according to a small majority of voters on this week’s poll.
More than 55% of voters chose No when asked: “Can DFS products be successful in Europe?”
Primary concerns seem to centre on the complexity of the product, especially when compared with the simplicity of readily-available betting options like a BTTS coupon, for example.
Most DFS formats also lack in-play options which now make up more than half of volume at major sportsbooks.
That said, around 45% of voters saw some future for the format, and global DFS operators appear to agree.
Yahoo officially launched in the UK last week, while DraftKings recently picked up a Malta licence and plans to increase its addressable audience in Europe by 100 million.
Unibet also launched a DFS product last week, saying it would “complement its existing sportsbook and appeal to a wider segment of sports fans”.
And that seems to be the future of DFS in Europe; a tool for driving ancillary benefits. For sportsbooks like Unibet it can help acquisition and engagement, while for companies like Yahoo it can help drive traffic and cross-sell.
Meanwhile, for firms like FanDuel and DraftKings Europe adds growth in the short term while the market in the US is slowly opening up, rather than being profitable as a standalone market.