DraftKings and FanDuel have held league betting partnerships since 2021, although with a slight break that began in March. Fanatics joins them after expanding its existing NFL relationship.
The agreements replace the previous US sportsbook partnerships involving Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel. Under those agreements, the operators were explicitly named as the league’s three exclusive official sportsbook partners.
No details were given for Caesars’ departure, but DraftKings and FanDuel allegedly halted their renewals over a dispute related to the cost of streaming data.
Those differences have apparently now been resolved. However, financial terms of the agreements have not been disclosed.
The new announcement does not describe the agreements as exclusive, whereas the previous partnerships were. This indicates that the NFL could still be considering additional partnerships.
The agreement allows the operators to use NFL marks to promote retail and online sports betting. They will also receive access to official play-by-play data, Next Gen Stats and BetVision through Genius Sports.
The companies will gain visibility across NFL digital properties and at major league events, including the Super Bowl and NFL Draft. They will also have access to hospitality and VIP opportunities.
DraftKings remains the NFL’s official daily fantasy sports partner, while Fanatics will become an official online casino marketing partner of the league.
The arrangements give sportsbook operators access to one of US sport’s most valuable brands. NFL games remain the centrepiece of the American betting calendar.
Americans legally wagered an estimated $30bn on the 2025 NFL season, according to the American Gaming Association.
Sports integrity a core function of betting partnerships
For the NFL, the partnerships create commercial opportunities while placing operators inside its integrity and responsible gambling framework. They also provide a formal channel for sharing information on suspicious betting activity.
NFL EVP/chief revenue officer Renie Anderson said: “DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics share our vision for innovation and fan engagement, but most importantly, our commitment to protecting the integrity of the game. We look forward to navigating this next chapter in sports betting together.”
The league said each partner had agreed to its core integrity policies. That includes restrictions on bets involving officiating, injuries and outcomes that may be known in advance.
It also covers markets that could be manipulated by one person. Such restrictions have become more important as sportsbooks expanded player proposition betting.
Genius Sports monitors betting patterns in real time for potential manipulation. Each NFL club also has an integrity representative, usually a former FBI agent or senior law-enforcement official.
Players, coaches, officials and staff must complete annual gambling policy training. They must also acknowledge the policy each year.
The NFL said it was the first professional sports league to launch a responsible betting campaign, doing so in 2021 with the National Council on Problem Gambling. It has since provided grants of $6.2m and $6.4m to the organisation.
From defence to offence
The league once took a markedly different public position on betting. It joined other major sports leagues and the NCAA in defending the federal sports betting prohibition before the Supreme Court’s 2018 PASPA ruling.
After the court struck down the law, allowing states to decide whether to authorise sports wagering, the NFL then called for federal standards focused on integrity and consumer protections.
While the league is involved heavily with betting operators, it’s still keeping its distance from prediction markets. Last December, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was not preparing to enter the category, citing unresolved legal challenges.
The NFL has also treated prediction markets as prohibited sports betting for its personnel. The league said its gambling policy bars players and league staff from trading football-related contracts on platforms that “mimic sports betting.”
Dingnews.com 31/08/2026