Last October, Fanatics Sportsbook CEO Michael Rubin pointed to being live in 15 to 20 U.S. jurisdictions by the start of the 2023 NFL season. A few months later, he walked that number back to 12, but with the start of the NFL season just one week away, it doesn’t appear the company will hit either target.
Still, for a company that a year ago didn’t have a wagering platform or even the staff to run one, Fanatics Sportsbook has sprinted into the wagering landscape and well have its Amelco-based platform live in 12 to 15 states by the end of 2023.
The first portion of Fanatics’ multi-phase deal to acquire PointsBet’s U.S. operations goes into effect on Thursday. As a bonus, the company added market access in one more state when the Wyoming Gaming Commission voted Thursday to approve a request to change ownership of “PointsBet Wyoming” to “FGB Enterprises OpCo, LLC, dba Fanatics Sportsbook.” The Wyoming regulator was the second on the state level to approve such a change since the Fanatics-PointsBet deal was approved by investors in June.
PointsBet hasn’t gone live with its Wyoming approval, and it’s unclear if or when Fanatics will. But the approval, along with the one in Pennsylvania last week, is instructive in terms of timing.