SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Gaming developer FlowPlay has announced the launch of All Star Daily Fantasy, a virtual currency-based daily fantasy sports (DFS) game.
The free play element ensures that it’s fully legal across states in the US, which is a major plus right now amidst the ongoing legal battles between real money DFS operators and state attorneys. The game is now live in FlowPlay’s flagship social casino title, Vegas World. All Star Daily Fantasy is the company’s latest offering in a growing suite of free-to-play social sports wagering games and is the company’s first game to truly replicate a traditional real-money DFS experience with virtual currency.
The DFS industry in the States faces impending regulation as an increasing number of states begin to classify DFS activities as illegal online gambling as opposed to a ‘game of skill.’ Despite this the market and appetite for daily fantasy in the USA is obvious and has been well documented with the popularity enjoyed by the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel.
FlowPlay views free-to-play, casual games as the most viable alternative and is working to expand the market reach through the development of engaging multiplayer social sports wagering experiences. All Star Daily Fantasy has launched with the NBA and will expand to include other sports throughout 2016.
Mike Slade, Director at Flowplay said: “In the two decades since fantasy sports first made its way onto the Internet, progress has been steady – but with the dramatic rise and consumer demand for DFS drawing new attention to the industry over the last year, the market is more ripe for innovation than ever.”
He continued: “That innovation will be through making DFS more widely accessible and attractive to casual sports fans and non-gamblers. I’ve enjoyed having a front row seat to witness FlowPlay’s success in the social casino sector as a Board Member and investor. Their latest focus on leveraging an already-proven approach to free-to-play casinos will translate well to fantasy sports and help bridge the gap to a much more mainstream audience.”
Whilst FlowPlay has opted to go down the route of free-to-play fantasy games to avoid tussles with the US courts, other operators have instead opted to target markets abroad. DraftKings recently made the move to Europe, whilst the likes of Mondogoal, Oulala, Fantasybet and more have been located here for some time.
The potential of the explosion of the DFS market in Europe will be discussed by all star fantasy panel including Oulala CEO Valery Bollier, Fantasybet CEO Viktor Enoksen, Mondogoal’s Richard Graham, and Trevor Keane Founder of Sportego at Betting on Football on April 21st at Stamford Bridge. Tickets are available for £400 + VAT.
