Skill games are one of the most overlooked verticals within online gaming. These games are often viewed as exclusive to smaller gaming companies that have nothing to do with gambling. FanDuel not only invests time and money in its FanDuel Facing skill game, but it also invests star power.
SBC Americas was informed by FanDuel Faceoff’s General Manager Aaron Champagne that the company began to seriously consider the facial appearance during the pandemic.
“Obviously, the pandemic opened our minds to the idea that we should look for ways to engage consumers in a way that is not only tied to live sport, as this is important both from a business and consumer perspective. He explained that they wanted to give consumers a way to interact with FanDuel beyond the live games in their sportsbook and DFS offerings.
FanDuel offers both F2P and Real Money Contests
FanDuel faceoff offers a variety of games, from sports-inspired ones to familiar word games such as Wheel of Fortune and Bogle . Other games include a variation on Tetris.
Users can choose to play for fun, for money or even against their friends. The platform measures a player’s ability to play a game, and then matches them with similar players to prevent anyone from being repeatedly beaten by experts.
The games are casual and there is the potential to win, but they also have the potential to attract new players who may not be interested in gambling.
When you take a step back, you will see that FanDuel’s core customers are interested in DFS, racing, DFS games, and gaming. Champagne added that this is a way to reach out to people who are not as interested in these types of products. “I think it’s really what attracted us.” There was a nice overlap between existing customers and people who had never used FanDuel before.
Faceoff is linked to FanDuel as it uses the same login information and wallet as all the other products. The games are not part of the app which houses all the other FanDuel products. FanDuel Faceoff is a separate app, but it uses the same login. Champagne explained that this was by design.
Apps for sportsbook, casino and FanDuel face off separately
“[FanDuel Faceoff] has a different nature than our sportsbook, casino or daily fantasy businesses. We wanted to keep it separate. You can log in to any of the products using the same account. But having a separate app allows us the flexibility to develop and innovate new games quickly. This flexibility was intentional, particularly in a rapidly changing category.
The skill games are unregulated, and are a bit different from actual gambling. However, FanDuel can offer the same tools for responsible gambling that they have on their sportsbook app or online casino. Users can limit their depositing or playing on the app or self-exclude.
Because Faceoff is part of the shared account and wallet across sportsbook and casino, as well as fantasy, we can use all the RG tools that we’ve developed for these products, such a deposit or entry limit. The RG tooling is available across all FanDuel products, which is another benefit of being on the shared wallet.
What is another benefit to sharing resources with other FanDuel Products? Brand ambassadors are a great way to get your brand out there.
Gronk took the chance to create Faceoff Game
Jordan Spieth is featured on Jordan Spieth Fairway Frenzy, while Rob Gronkowski plays a cornhole-themed game.
“After we announced our partnership [with Gronkowski], I told him about Faceoff, and how we thought that it would be an excellent opportunity to collaborate and create a game with him. Champagne remembered that Gronkowski was “absolutely ecstatic” about the partnership.
“He didn’t really want to play football, which I found interesting. He wanted something totally different that suited his personality. We came up with seven options: pool, darts, and other games. He saw cornhole and said “That’s all I want.”
Gronkowski had strong opinions about every aspect of the game. He even suggested that it be played at Gronk Beach. Gronkowski, who played the game as a child with his family, had strong opinions on the correct way to throw. The final result, Gronk Spoke Cornhole was a true collaboration between FanDuel, the star, and FanDuel.
FanDuel Faceoff offers partners the chance to enhance their brand by offering a more popular game than other products.
FanDuel is not the only company looking for ways to grow by using verticals other than sportsbooks and online casinos. After five years of the repeal of PASPA it is time for operators to look beyond the low hanging fruit of sports betting customers. The skill game industry should be something they are thinking about.
