It’s late December, and if you play fantasy sports then you know that can mean only one thing – it’s time for the playoffs in your NFL Fantasy Football league. From your draft back in August, to the hours you’ve spent pouring over waiver wires, injury reports, and head-to-head matchups each week, it’s finally time for the payoff. And if all goes well over the next two weeks, the pay day you’ve been working for.
There is money being spent, and money to be made throughout the fantasy sports industry. Back in 2012 IBISWorld predicted that growth patterns would lead to fantasy sports becoming a $1.7 billion industry just in the United States. Well, according to Juniper Research in this year that is just about to end, revenue actually exceeded $1.7 billion by 52%, bringing in $2.6 billion in 2016. And that is projected to reach $5.3 billion by 2020. And that’s just daily fantasy sports, and that’s just the United States.
With places like Fan Duel and Yahoo Daily Fantasy Sports given the green light for launches in the UK this past year, and the expansion of Premier League related products associated with those launches, the worldwide pie is only going to grow. And what began as a seasonal game between friends, with maybe a trophy presentation at the end for the winning team owner, is now one of the most recognized ways to gamble on sports. In fact the NFL Week 1 entry fees for Fan Duel and Draft Kings actually outpaced what was spent at Las Vegas casinos by more than double.
As online access becomes faster, more readily available, and much more secure, the ways to gamble and make money only become more plentiful. Lotteries can now be played online, and of if a sports book has any hope of making any money, it’s already developed an iPhone app. And the tried and true fun that we’ve all experienced at a casino, has now become the fun and convenience of a mobile casino. Websites like LadyLucks, which feature everything from slots to blackjack, have experienced a surge in popularity because of improved gaming experiences and more frequent and plentiful payouts.
It is indeed a great time to be alive.