FanDuel President Christian Genetski has given the inside track on how the company went from being in an unpromising situation to a market leader in the latest issue of SBC Leaders Magazine.
In an interview to mark his imminent induction to the Sports Betting Hall of Fame at next month’s SBC Summit North America, Genetski outlined the positives of the FanDuel story and some of the adversities it has faced.
“After the DraftKings merger was blocked by the FTC in August of 2017, FanDuel was pretty much out of money,” said Genetski. “So we had to immediately do an internal capital raise to keep the lights on and take in just enough money to say, ‘we’ve gotta sell the company, merge the company, or find a path to a much bigger capital infusion in the next nine months.”
Genetski also talked about his public affairs work which has been recognized as being “instrumental” in the spread of legal sports betting in the U.S.
The feature finishes by discussing FanDuel’s strategy to create partnerships with professional sports organizations as well as the company’s principles and why they are an “integral” part of FanDuel’s way of doing business.
“Sometimes you hang them on the wall and nobody ever talks about them again, but for whatever reason, these have really stuck and they’ve been really helpful to us during a period of immense growth,” added Genetski.
BetMGM talk Super Bowl activation strategy
Elsewhere in the issue, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt shares some insights behind the brand’s Super Bowl activation campaign in Las Vegas which included developing a “tailor-made” strategy for each of its Las Vegas properties.
“The plan for each property was property specific based on proximity to the stadium, based on the footprint of the sportsbook,” recalled Greenblatt. “It was really detailed and tailored planning for each property, but the experience and what we were aiming for was an all-immersive experience for basically all visitors to Las Vegas.”
As part of its Super Bowl campaign, BetMGM also launched a commercial for the game featuring sporting greats Tom Brady and Wayne Gretzky as well as Hollywood actor Vince Vaughn.
Player protection and tax also on the agenda
This month’s issue put the focus on player protection with a pair of interviews from Martin Lycka, SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, and The Digital Wellness Center’s Dr. Mary Donohue.
Meanwhile, Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus explains why she is seeking to abolish the federal betting tax.
SBC Leaders also features an interview with Global Gaming Women’s President Lauren Bates on the potential benefits of the group’s mentorship program and a trio of talks from within the retail casino industry on the problem of human trafficking in casinos.
Additionally, readers can find even more content about iGaming including interviews from Playstar CEO Peter Emark and EveryMatrix US President Erik Nyman.
You can read Issue 30 of SBC Leaders magazine here or for those attending SBC Summit North America, you can pick up a copy at the event.
