Gaming Commission OKs licensing for FanDuel partnership

Daily fantasy sports giant FanDuel is licensed in Nevada, but don’t expect its nationally popular online betting app or daily fantasy sports contests to be available anytime soon.

The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday unanimously approved licensing for Dublin, Ireland-based Flutter Entertainment Plc. and several of its divisions and subsidiaries, including FanDuel, to be licensed to collaborate in the operation of Boyd Gaming Corp.’s Fremont casino property in downtown Las Vegas.

The collaboration between FanDuel and Boyd is expected to begin by the end of the year.

The Fremont sportsbook would adopt FanDuel branding, but existing Boyd personnel will continue to run the sportsbook, according to testimony before regulators. Under Boyd’s agreement, FanDuel will provide advice on odds and risk management through Boyd’s existing IGT sports-betting system.

Commissioner Steven Cohen said he had initial concerns over whether consumers would be confused about where to take player disuptes.

FanDuel executives said because Boyd Gaming would continue to have final say on all sportsbook decisions it would be the place to take any concerns.

FanDuel enters the Nevada market as the top online sports-betting operation in the nation, licensed in 15 states. Executives told regulators they have no immediate plans to introduce FanDuel’s mobile gaming technology in Nevada or a sportsbook completely operated by the company, but FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said “never say never” about the possibility of someday applying for licensing for other services.

Irvine, California-based gaming research and consulting firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming last month reported that FanDuel is the top brand in 14 of the 15 states in which it operates. And it has a nationwide market share of 47 percent of the gross gaming revenue generated in mobile sports gaming.

FanDuel most recently started operations in Arizona, affiliated with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix.

Through Boyd, FanDuel also operates commercial sportsbooks in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.

The FanDuel sportsbook at Fremont will have seating for 76 people and wagering will be provided by Boyd at four windows and seven self-service kiosks.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.