DraftKings and FanDuel Lead in September App Downloads
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Everyone’s got their favorite betting platform. Whether it’s a newer sportsbook app, one of the classics, or even going old school and using a physical sportsbook, everyone’s got their go-to way to make a wager. Each platform is on a nonstop advertising blitz to race to the top, with massive budgets for advertising (an estimated billion dollars in ad cash this football season) as more states legalize sports betting. One way to see which platforms are the most popular right now is through app downloads. And the top two from the last month might not be a total surprise. Let’s take a look at the apps every sports bettor has wanted on their smartphones this month.
FanDuel and DraftKings Dominate September
A recently released research report from investment banking company Morgan Stanley has unveiled the number of downloads from the most popular sports betting apps. The report says that, of all the sports betting apps downloaded in September, DraftKings accounted for roughly 32% while FanDuel represented 27%. Interestingly, another report from Loop Capital suggested that DraftKings had become the most downloaded app on Apple devices. Meanwhile, Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM each had 12% of the total downloads.
DraftKings and FanDuel are two of the major platforms that control the estimated market share of the sports betting world, along with BetMGM. The three platforms are estimated to account for a whopping 83% of the total share, a daunting number for up-and-coming platforms. FanDuel alone currently controls approximately 45% of the complete market share.
Sports Betting Sees Major Surge For Football Season
The Morgan Stanley report also noted that the overall downloads of sports betting apps is up 183% in September 2021. This is to be expected, as football season is easily the most popular sports betting time of the year. Additionally, legalization saw some major wins since the start of the football season, as Arizona’s official legalization coincided perfectly with the kickoff of the NFL season.
More official numbers have been released by the geolocation services company GeoComply that support the absolute explosion in sports betting numbers. Throughout four weeks of NFL action, GeoComply has reported that 330 million total sports betting transactions have been made. That’s a 122% jump from the season before when there were 149 million transactions through the first quarter of the season.
What About The Other Apps?
Seeing these numbers, especially with three sportsbooks controlling 83% of the market, makes it seem nearly impossible to break out. However, many other platforms are trying to take a piece of the pie from FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM. Barstool Sportsbook, which is owned by Penn National Gaming, would love to take on the competition. However, the platform has slipped as of late, seeing a 5% drop in downloads in September, now down to 7%. WynnBET, another platform that has been aggressive in its expansion with a major advertising campaign, has struggled to gain a major to rival the big three. The WynnBET app accounted for 3% of downloads in September 2021.
