The fanatics have opened a retail sportsbook inside FedExField, home stadium of the Washington Chiefs. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
For the first time in the NFL
People can now place in-person sports bets inside an NFL stadium for the first time following the launch of the Fanatics Sportsbook at Washington, Maryland’s FedExField. It’s the first time the iconic sporting goods company has launched a sportsbook in the United States.
The first official day of operations was Friday
Partnering with the leaders allowed the fanatics to open a show in the country. It was the first official day of operations on Friday, and the first bet was placed by 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player Chris Bryant, who bet on a bet featuring the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.
The new facility
The retail sportsbook is 5,000 square feet and contains eight betting windows, 21 self-service betting booths, several television screens, and a full-service restaurant. An in-house team at Fanatics Betting and Gaming will be responsible for running the sportsbook.
The facility will be open every day of the week between 10am and 12am ET. The main exception is that a sportsbook cannot accept bets on Washington Chiefs home game days, a rule in line with NFL policy on commercial gambling.
The fanatics have plans to have a sports betting presence in 15-20 states by the start of the next NFL season. It’s eyeing a potential acquisition in the space to help achieve that goal.
Washington Chiefs Team President Jason Wright welcomed the opening The New Retail Sports Book. Talk about how this will help expand the guest experience at the venue and thank the legislators and regulators for helping make the sportsbook possible.
NFL teams adopt sports betting
The Arizona Cardinals have a retail sportsbook open close to their home stadium. The standalone facility adjacent to State Farm Stadium opened for business in September, just in time for the start of the NFL season. The double storey property is operated by BetMGM and has proven popular since its opening.
The NFL itself has also embraced the world of legal sports betting
Other NFL teams have also outlined plans to do something similar by setting up a retail sportsbook at or near their home venues. Many franchises already have official sports betting partnerships with operators. The NFL itself has also embraced the world of legal sports betting since becoming federally legal, with official partnerships with many sportsbook operators.
