Reward programs in gaming are by no means a foreign or atypical concept to operators, but instead one which has been rinsed, washed and repeated in many different ways up to this point. Primarily utilized via a points-based system, reward programs help operators instill motivation within their most loyal consumers, as well as establish omnichannel capabilities for those with commercial counterparts.
Omnichannel reward integrations have relatively dominated the sports betting scene, with operators such as MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Hard Rock International long since discovering ways to mirror digital and retail verticals. Change is inevitable, however, and a certain operator’s entrance into the sports betting scene during 2023 altered reward programs’ potential across the industry.
How FanCash evolved sports betting, omnichannel rewards
When Fanatics began offering sports betting to consumers through the operator’s Fanatics Sportsbook platform, the organization had already well-established itself in the clothing and memorabilia space. Even with DraftKings and FanDuel serving as a dominant one-two force in sports betting, Fanatics was able to form its own niche by creating a broader ecosystem centered around a single reward program.
As part of the Fanatics One reward program, FanCash acts as loyalty currency redeemable across multiple Fanatics experiences, including through purchases on the operator’s mobile application, Topps, sportsbook platform and prediction markets. Recently, Fanatics has extended the offering to more retail-focused experiences, such as allowing FanCash to be used at the Fanatics Fest event and in Lucas Oil Stadium during Indianapolis Colts games.
Both operators find themselves in the same boat as their sports betting counterparts, though, struggling to mirror the ecosystem Fanatics has garnered through the acquisition of Mitchell & Ness and multiple partnerships with professional sports leagues
While MGM Resorts, Caesars and Hard Rock can also provide omnichannel rewards experiences for users, each of the operators struggle to match the fluidity FanCash has generated in the years since inception. From memorabilia to merchandise to ticketing, Fanatics has a plethora of ways for its customers to spend FanCash even without visiting a physical casino or sportsbook establishment.
To expand the FanCash offering, the operator also named American Express as the official payments partner of select Fanatics online and retail locations in May. An exclusive Fanatics American Express Card is planned to launch later in 2026 as a result of the collaboration, featuring the ability to earn FanCash and access to the Amex Network.
FanDuel and DraftKings also offer their own reward programs for users, but neither has discovered the means to keep pace with FanCash's capabilities up to this point. The industry continues to innovate, however, as the rise of prediction markets also wrote a new chapter in how Fanatics extended the use of FanCash across its various sectors.
Can Kalshi and Polymarket eventually offer similar currency to FanCash?
The two prediction market goliaths have both unveiled their own form of reward programs since launching in the US, but neither acts in a similar fashion to that of FanCash or even the rewards offered by FanDuel, DraftKings, MGM Resorts, etc. Kalshi and Polymarket provide consumer rewards through liquidity and volume incentive programs, paying users to improve market function and trading activity.
Kalshi also offers users a maximum payout of $0.005 per contract traded in eligible markets over a defined period – usually 31 days – which struggles to match similar programs offered by FanDuel and DraftKings, let alone Fanatics.
To keep pace with Kalshi and Polymarket, Fanatics launched its own prediction markets platform in December, and integrated the Fanatics One program for event contract traders by June 2026.
Both operators find themselves in the same boat as their sports betting counterparts, though, struggling to mirror the ecosystem Fanatics has garnered through the acquisition of Mitchell & Ness and multiple partnerships with professional sports leagues. Unlike the previously mentioned entities, Polymarket and Kalshi may struggle to ever discover their own version of FanCash, or even rewards which utilize a points-based program.
It should be stated that such difficulties have done little to slow the momentum of either operator, but it does illustrate a potential complication which could arise if prediction markets ever reach a more competitive balance.
The future of FanCash and Fanatics’ role in sports betting
It’s difficult to imagine a world where the popularity of FanCash slows in the near future. Looking ahead, the option for consumers to use FanCash at Fanatics Fest and professional sports venues such as Lucas Oil Stadium only further showcases its relatively untethered abilities. With the recent prediction markets integration as well, FanCash could result in Fanatics passing FanDuel and DraftKings in the event contract trading race.
The idea of DraftKings or FanDuel launching its own version of FanCash is certainly interesting to ponder, however, as DraftKings’ collaboration with ESPN and FanDuel’s growing media network could lead to deeper integrations for both.
BetMGM, Caesars and Hard Rock already offer the chance to use reward points on retail experiences or shopping, but partnering with local sports franchises could allow for similar activations as to what Fanatics and the Colts launched at Lucas Oil Stadium. Perhaps a world also exists where operators extend collaborations with ticketing sites and entertainment venues to allow for points redemption opportunities.
Still, it is evident Fanatics’ entry into sports betting changed the game in terms of the possibilities which exist with sports betting reward programs. How fellow competitors go about keeping pace with the capabilities of FanCash remains to be seen, but events such as Fanatics Fest will only serve as the next iteration of how far the operator has come in the sports betting space.
Momentum Group unveiled a new joint venture with Fanatics Betting & Gaming in the UAE on June 29, following regulatory approval from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority
