Fantasy Sports – Will it Work in Europe?
Fantasy Sports are an interesting development of our age. People can literally play their favorite sports with their favorite players! Fantasy Sports is an online game that allows people to play using teams that are comprised of imaginary players and even virtual versions of real players of those sports. Adding to the effect is the fact that these virtual versions of the players perform just as per the on-field statistics of the real players.
Fantasy sports has gained a lot of popularity because it allows fans get as close as possible to playing the sport they are most passionate about with their favorite players. It has already kicked off on all six continents, and more and more people are now joining the community of Fantasy Sports. However, in comparison, Fantasy Sports has not gained much popularity in the US.
In-fact, Fantasy Sports is something that has mostly created ripples only in the North-American continent, and is struggling to gain a secure footing on European soil.
What is the deal with Fantasy Sports?
Fantasy Sports has enabled people to bet on teams and team players. In the US, betting on actual games and players comes under a lot of restrictions. As such, people are not able to derive the full joy of betting on the games, as they would have without so many limitations.
When Fantasy Sports began, however, the authorities were unable to do anything about the betting that ensued, because the betting was no more on real players but on virtual players! As such, the restrictions and regulations that applied to general betting could not be applied to Fantasy Sports. As a result, Fantasy Sports spread quickly as an amazing alternative to real-life betting all across the North American continent.
Some of the biggest names in the American Fantasy Sports are Draft Kings and Fan Duels. People who bet have to pick their team of choice, and partner up with other ‘partners’. The rest works out exactly as it would otherwise. The only difference is that, here, everything happens virtually, over the web. And because the virtual players perform just as well as their real-life counterparts, the results of the game can be considered to be on par with the results as they would have been in real life. Needless to say, better the team play, more the money the ‘managers’ make.
Europe does not really need Fantasy Sports betting
The simple reason for Fantasy Sports not taking off in Europe is that Europe has fairly relaxed regulations on sports betting. The void that Fantasy Sports fills in America does not even exist in Europe! As such, the need for virtual teams and players are redundant.
In Europe, Football fans can easily bet on their favorite teams and players without any fear of legal regulations. For example, in the UK, betting is practiced freely across different streams and for every sport there is. Because of this, it will be interesting to know how Fantasy Sports will manage to make themselves an alternative option to sports betting in the country. No matter how close to reality Fantasy Sports gets, it obviously can never replace the real deal!
Domestic betting in Europe poses tough competition
Fantasy Sports, despite their lack of popularity, have always been there in Europe. However, the top names in Fantasy Sports betting admit that the costs for firms like theirs are too high because the competition they face from local, real-life betting is just too high.
Despite the current situations, speculations are made that the Fantasy Sports is not taking off in Europe because it is still in its primitive stages. Subsequent updates, developments and additional features in time will bring it on par with actual betting. Valery Bollier, the CEO of a Fantasy Sports betting firm shares this optimism. He argues that Fantasy Sports is a growing industry and as such, with time, will definitely gain popularity in Europe as well.
“Not sustainable”
Industry expert Lorien Pilling does not share the optimism of people like Bollier. He admits that Fantasy Sports will definitely be able to build a fan-base because sports betting is very popular among Europeans. However, he also doubts that it will be able to last long or become as popular as in the US and Canada and that the business will not be sustainable. He also says that right now a lot of money is being pumped into Europe, trying to get Fantasy Sports popular. However, he argues that once the marketing stops and the flow of money reduces, the future of Fantasy Sports betting will become dark again.
