Do any bookmakers allow betting on fantasy sports?
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Fantasy Sports have become hugely popular over the last 30 years. They are a way for fans of specific sports to indulge their passion by creating teams to score them points and compete against other players worldwide.
However, fantasy sports have existed alongside bookmakers' offerings for most of their existence.
That is now slowly changing as bookmakers realise the potential appeal fantasy sports games have for many of their customers. A few have even adopted fantasy gaming alongside their usual
Let’s now learn which bookmakers offer fantasy sports but first, let us clarify exactly what we mean by fantasy sports gaming.
What are Fantasy Sports?
Fantasy Sports are games that are based on major sporting competitions. Some of the most popular sports on which you find fantasy games include American Football (especially in the United States) and soccer.
Other fantasy games are available based on various sports, including tennis, golf, rugby, basketball, and baseball.
Traditionally, competition owners like the Premier League, UEFA, or the NFL have organised their own fantasy games. Other fantasy games have been organised by newspapers (both offline initially and then online with the development of the internet).
Many of these fantasy games are free and offer prizes for a few entrants in each game.
However, more modern fantasy games, adopted by bookmakers or specialist fantasy sports gaming sites, now offer fantasy sports where entrants require a stake.
Staking and Fantasy Sports
Bookmakers and specialist betting services that offer fantasy sports games now offer games in which players pay an entry fee to participate.
The stakes from all entrants are collected, and then a prize pool and structure for awarding the prizes are determined. For some games, the betting site may also offer a guaranteed minimum cash prize, to which the entrance stakes are added to, to increase the prize pool's value (and appeal).
Staking to play fantasy games therefore becomes a form of wagering. You are betting that you can pick a fantasy team that will score you enough points to win a prize.
Which bookmakers offer Fantasy Sports gaming?
Bet365 is the best bookmaker for fantasy gaming, especially for customers based in the UK and other jurisdictions where it operates.
The site offers an extensive range of fantasy games to play, direct from your standard bet365 log in, through its bet365 Fantasy portal.
Alongside the stake fantasy games, you can also find occasional free-to-play fantasy games, especially for the big football events such as the Premier League, Champions League, European Championships, and World Cup.
There is also a weekly fantasy free to play game when the Premier League season is in operation.
Alongside its extensive fantasy football games, bet365 Fantasy offers fantasy games for a range of other sports, although these are not as numerous as its soccer-based games.
Stakes for playing fantasy games range from just a pound or two to hundreds of pounds, with prize pools commensurate with the price of entry and the number of entries in each game.
How do I play Fantasy Sports games at bet365?
Although the rules for each fantasy game differ, most, especially those for sports such as football or American Football, involve the entrant selecting a fantasy team.
The fantasy team selected must:
- Adhere to selection restrictions regarding positions (GK, Defenders, Midfielder, Attackers, Substitutes etc)
- Be fully complete and under the stated salary cap.
- Not comprise of too many players from any one team.
- Have a captain and vice-captain selected.
These rules are especially prevalent in longer-duration fantasy games, such as the game run for the entire Premier League season.
Shorter duration games, such as those based on one weekend or midweek set of fixtures, or even on one fixture, may see fewer selections to be made with different rules regarding selection.
All games have a full explanation of the rules, how the points are scored, and the fantasy value for each player available for selection. Bet365 also has an Autoselect button, allowing you to make a valid entry by just clicking that button.
Are there free-to-play Fantasy Sports available at bet365?
Yes, bet365 Fantasy offers a number of weekly and season-long free fantasy games, especially for the Premier League, top club competitions such as the Champions League, and international tournaments like the World Cup and European Championships. Free Fantasy Games are easy to spot as their entry button is bright yellow.
What prizes can be won playing Fantasy Sports at bet365?
Several cash prizes are available to be won in the fantasy games that bet365 customers decide to play, which require a staked entry.
Prizes decrease in value from the top prize (with the list of prizes stated). In some games, Bet365 may also contribute to the prize pool with their cash to make the game more attractive.
Free entry fantasy games often offer a combination of cash prizes, as well as free entries into weekly fantasy games for a stated amount (such as a £2 entry into the weekly Fantasy Premier League game)
Fantasy Sports - Our thoughts as sports betting fans
You can find fantasy sports betting/gaming at relatively few sports betting sites.
Fantasy sports are a very popular pastime in the UK, and there is a large crossover of people who enjoy sports betting alongside fantasy sports.
As such, sites like Bet365, which offers both sports betting as part of Bet365 Sport and fantasy sports gaming on Bet365 Fantasy, are a real positive for betting fans and fantasy gamers in the UK.
They offer a different way for people to wager money on sports. One that is not based solely on the outcome of a sporting event. Instead, fantasy gaming allows customers more freedom to pick their teams and strategise to try and ensure they land a cash prize based on the parameters of their chosen game.
If you love sports betting, especially on sports such as soccer or American Football, then fantasy gaming is a viable option for additional excitement and enjoyment on selected online sports betting sites. If you have more questions about which other games Bet365 offers, go check our Bet365 main review.
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