Crossover Between Fantasy Sports Players and Sports Wagerers at Highest Level Ever

By Will Mossa,    FSGA Press Releases

Exclusive study also takes deep dive into participants’ brand consumption – over-indexing is off the charts – and offers first-ever look at impact of legalized sports betting in New Jersey

NEW YORK – Research conducted by Ipsos for the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association (FSGA) reveals that the crossover between fantasy sports players and sports wagerers continues to grow significantly.

According to the study, which will be unveiled later today at the FSGA Summer Conference, a robust 61% of respondents who participate in one activity also participate in the other.

The research also shows almost no cannibalization across the industries with 87% of fantasy sports players who also wager playing more fantasy sports than before. In short, the different varieties of fantasy sports and sports wagering products serve different portions of a massive market without deducting participation from either.

Both groups over-index in nearly all consumer activity categories — in some cases doubling the general population. This includes apparel purchases, dining purchases, sports bar visits, social media consumption and device usage.

As an example, 44% of fantasy players and sports bettors made a Nike purchase in the last year, as opposed to just 17% of the general population.

“These numbers demonstrate that fantasy sports players and sports wagerers are an extraordinarily attractive audience,” said FSGA President Paul Charchian. “We’ve seen significant growth across our industries over the last year and expect continued explosive growth as states legalize sports betting.”

The research also puts the magnifying glass on New Jersey as the first state to allow mobile legal sports betting.

Compared to the national average, New Jersey has an even higher crossover between fantasy sports and sports wagering participation (68%). New Jersey sports wagerers cited the speed and ease of placing a bet (82%) and the ease of cashing out (82%) as top reasons for why they wagered online. And of New Jersey sports bettors who have wagered on sports since it became legal, 29% are female.

Data from the FSGA-Ipsos study also revealed that football remains the primary sport of interest with 78% of fantasy players taking part in fantasy football and 63% of sports wagerers placing a wager on the NFL.

The Ipsos study was conducted from May 15-27, 2019 with n=1,000 (General Population); n=1,966 (National Sports Bettors or Fantasy Players) and n=712 (New Jersey Sports Bettors or Fantasy Players).

About FSGA
The Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association is the only national organization representing the interests of fantasy sports and gaming companies. We are the voice for more than nearly 60 million fantasy sports players in the United States and Canada, and for the companies that provide services, news, information and competition to support this growing industry. Our members are sports and gaming enthusiasts, with companies that range from small startups to large media corporations. Our mission is to provide our members with essential research and data, networking opportunities and collective action to help them reach their potential. For more information, visit https://thefsga.org/.

About Ipsos
Ipsos specializes in addressing issues related to innovation, market understanding and path to purchase. Ipsos Marketing helps clients to define their marketing strategy, identify new opportunities, understand buying behavior, develop brands, services and products and optimize the allocation of their marketing expenditures. Embedded within Ipsos is the Ipsos Lottery & Gaming specialty practice for North America. With more than 25 years of dedicated experience to this industry, Ipsos has the depth of expertise and knowledge to help clients understand their marketplace and grow their business now and in the future.

Ipsos has media partnerships with the most prestigious news organizations around the world. In the U.S., UK and internationally, Ipsos Public Affairs is the media polling supplier to Reuters News, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. Ipsos Public Affairs is a member of the Ipsos Group, a leading global survey-based market research company. It provides boutique-style customer service and works closely with its clients, while also undertaking global research. To learn more, visit: www.ipsos-na.com.