Overview

  • Great selection of mobile apps
  • Fun promotions and a solid loyalty program
  • Insider feature gives players the tips and tricks they need to succeed
  • Could do with adding more sports to the contest lineup

One of the heavy hitters of the fantasy sports betting industry, FanDuel is set to pay out $2 billion prizes in 2015 and grows more successful by the day. FanDuel offers players the opportunity to enter contests for the biggest sports leagues in the US, such as the NFL, MLB, NHL. Over the past few years, the site has received critical acclaim and several awards, including Best Fantasy Contest in 2013 from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. While the selection of fantasy sports to bet on isn’t as large as that of rival site DraftKings, FanDuel still does a great job of bringing players to the site and ensuring that they have as much fun as possible by joining thrilling contests.

How FanDuel Works

FanDuel offers a number of different contests for players to enjoy, with the options available clearly displayed in the lobby. For example, a player hoping to enter an NFL contest would pay the fee and select a line-up while staying within the allotted salary cap of $60,000. This forces players to put real thought behind their selections as opposed to just snapping up Tom Brady and Peyton Manning for a weekend tournament.

Here are the types of contests offered at FanDuel:

Tournaments – Tournaments are contests with guaranteed prizes that can see tens of thousands of players take part. The prize pools are huge and can see top winners take home six figures. Multiple lineups per player are allowed.

Leagues – Leagues are contests with more than two players and which pay out prizes to the top 20 or 30 percent of participants after the dust has settled. Only one lineup is allowed per player.

Head to Heads – These contests pit one player against the other, with the entry fees ranging from $1 to as much as $10,000. Keep in mind that the winner does take all, so either bring your best lineup to the table or watch your cash disappear into the wallet of your opponent.

50/50s – In a 50/50 contest, the top 50 percent of winners at the end of a competition would receive the allotted prize money. For example, a 50/50 contest with 200 players and a prize pool of $10,000 would see the top 100 participants win $100 each.

Multipliers – Similar to 50/50 contests, Multipliers award a certain number of players a specific amount of prize money. Unlike 50/50 contests, Multipliers don’t offer a flat number of winners and set amount of cash. Instead, the top winners of the contest will receive a proportional amount of winnings. For instance, a Multiplier contest might see the top ten winners receive four times what they paid in entry fees.

If you need to know how many points you’ve snapped up from a blocked punt or a return touchdown, you’ll discover it all in the marvellously thorough Rules and Scoring section, where every sport offered on the site has a full breakdown of the points you can earn – or lose – in a contest.

Players can even create their own contests if they want to pit their wits against the rest of the field, choosing their own sport, type of contest and entry fees.

Layout/Design

The FanDuel site is refreshingly simple, with easy navigation and a clear, bright design emphasizing that the focus is on the fun of entering contests and winning prizes. Links go where they say they’ll go, and answers can be found quickly and easily on the Support page.

Features

The Insider blog is a nice touch – in addition to videos and podcasts, the FanDuel staff also provide regular updates on players, player rankings and even blog posts on how to build your lineup. Articles can be sorted by your experience level, with Rookie pieces focusing on bankroll management, how contests function in each sport offered and various strategies you can use to get ahead of the field. As you explore the site, you can move on to the expert tips in the Legend articles.

The Training Camp feature helps new players get to grips with how FanDuel works, walking them through the process of joining contests, creating teams and staying within the salary cap. It’s only for football at the moment, but those who enjoy fantasy NBA or NHL can find similar resources in the Insider.

Mobile

It’s not surprising to see why FanDuel picked up the title for the Best Mobile Sports App at the 2015 Webby Awards – the apps are simply wonderful.

FanDuel users can take advantage of an iPhone app that gives them full use of the site right in their pocket. You can enter multiple contests, keep track of your teams via live scoring and make deposits without having to log onto the desktop version. Browsing the regular mobile site on an iPhone is a treat as well. An iPad app is available for tablet users.

Android users will need to download the app directly from the FanDuel site, as their Google Play offering only features live-scoring. The FanDuel app for Android is slick, fast and showcases all the latest contests for you to consider joining. Compared to the slow, jerky mobile offerings from some bookmakers, FanDuel’s Android app is an absolute joy to use. Sadly, the mobile site on Android is appallingly formatted – you’ll want to stick to the app instead of trying to navigate the lobby in your browser.

FanDuel Promotions and Bonuses

Loyal players can make the most of their FanDuel Points (FDPs), which are awarded every time they take part in a real-money game. As players accrue FDPs, they can use them to enter contests and special freerolls, putting their points balance towards the cost of signing up.

There is a welcome bonus available for new players after making their first deposit, which is converted to cash at rate of four percent of the entry costs for any contests in which you participate.

In addition to its loyalty program and welcome bonus, FanDuel runs frequent promotions, including leagues raising money for breast cancer research. Other seasonal promotions and competitions are offered, including a $600,000 Sunday Night Showdown offered in coordination with NBC Sports.

Conclusion

FanDuel is a strong, well-developed fantasy sports betting site that delivers exactly what it promises – the chance to join amazing competitions that test your knowledge and offer great returns. While it could benefit from having a few more sports available – the plethora of opportunities on DraftKings comes to mind – FanDuel seems to value quality over quantity, which has arguably boosted its success. With a strong mobile offering and huge community, it certainly deserves the acclaim it has received. If FanDuel could sort out the mobile browser for Android users who don’t want to download an app, it would be near perfect.

Score: 8/10

  • Payment Options: Players can deposit funds using Visa, Mastercard, Discover or Paypal, while withdrawals can be made either check or Paypal. Check withdrawals will be processed and paid out in seven to ten business days, while Paypal withdrawals are usually completed within 48 hours.
  • Legality: FanDuel is legal in Canada and most US states as it is currently considered a game of skill, not chance. Residents of Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada and Washington State cannot participate in contests on FanDuel.
  • Support:  Players needing help with any aspect of the FanDuel site can send an email to support@fanduel.com or send a support ticket via the Help page.
  • Registered address: 19 Union Square, West New York, NY, 10003