We’re not even a week into the legal online sports betting era in New York. But the early returns show local bettors prefer the industry titans just like everyone else.
In a PlayNY poll asking voters for their favorite NY betting app, FanDuel and DraftKings took the top two spots, with Caesars and BetRivers coming in well behind them.
The breakdown with 466 votes cast:
- FanDuel 40.3%
- DraftKings 36.9%
- Caesars 12.9%
- BetRivers 9.9%
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NY sports betting users air their grievances
The FanDuel Sportsbook NY app has merited high marks for its clean look and user-friendly interface which allows users to keep track of games with ease. But two responses to the poll suggested FanDuel’s customer services needs significant improvement.
Similarly, DraftKings New York also received praise for its look and feel. The same went for its smooth deposits and easy access to live betting. DraftKings has also given some strong NY bets and odds boosts. For example, betting on either team to score a TD (+100) in the College Football National Championship.
The two titans did see interruptions due to volume, per social media. And FanDuel’s $100 promotion took 90 minutes to come through following the 9 a.m. launch. The company said it had rectified the issue by 2 p.m. Saturday.
In contrast, Caesars NY isn’t exactly user-friendly, though the company made a strong impression on NY bettors with its excellent promotion ($300 bonus plus match up to $3,000) upon launch. The app, though, was down for three hours over the weekend due to high volume. While it’s early, and outages are understandable, tech problems could potentially send aggravated bettors elsewhere, like their bookie or off-shore.
One user reported Caesars’ cashout feature to be the slowest of the bunch. The app also had issues verifying geolocation, telling one NY user located in the city: “We can not verify your location.” There was also some confusion and frustration via Reddit over Caesars’ $300 bonus regarding withdrawals. As the fine print in its terms and conditions says: “‘Participants must make at least one deposit before they can withdraw any winnings from the $300 bonus,’ and ‘Participants must wager through their bonus amounts one time to unlock their account for withdrawals.'”
As for BetRivers, one user said the app had a pretty good match bonus and the initial deposit paid out right away.
Waiting for the final five NY betting apps
Still to launch in New York are BetMGM, PointsBet, WynnBet, Resorts World and Bally Bet.
The hope remains that all nine NY online sportsbooks will be up by the end of January, if not sooner.
“We’re working closely with the New York State Gaming Commission to get the BetMGM app live as soon as possible,” the company reiterated to PlayNY.
Bally Bet is an interesting case, as the company is looking to launch a new app in early 2022. Bally CEO Lee Fenton has said its new app will launch in Arizona before any other state, and that hasn’t happened yet. It seems like a time-crunch for Bally Bet unless the company decides to launch old tech in New York to get up and running before the Feb. 13 Super Bowl.
