Fantasy sports websites boast million dollar prizes, and seven figures is nothing to sneeze at. For that matter, neither is the controversial $350,000 payout an employee at fantasy sports site DraftKings employee recently earned at rival site FanDuel.
While the daily fantasy sports jackpots can be big, they’re a mere drop in the bucket of what has become a massive, multi-billion dollar industry.
$26 Billion
Estimated total annual spending on fantasy sports in the U.S. and Canada, considering the FSTA reports an average annual spending of $465 per player. (FSTA)
1 Million
Number of paid active players on FanDuel, according to the company. (FanDuel).
220,000
Number of new user signups DraftKings had during the first weekend of the NFL 2015 season. (AP)
$304 Million
Amount DraftKings brought in from user entry fees in 2014. In 2013, the website generated $45 million in entry fees. (Forbes)
$622 Million
Amount FanDuel brought in from entry fees in 2014. (Forbes)
41%
Expected annual growth of the fantasy sports industry. By 2020, entry fees are expected to generate $14.4 billion. (Forbes, Eilers Research)
45
Number of states that allow daily fantasy sports contests, because those states consider them a game of "skill," not luck. It’s considered legal on a federal level, according to the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
5
The number of states blocked from daily fantasy sports sites, including Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, and Washington. (Legal Information Institute, Legal Sports Report)
$5.75 Million
Total amount generated from entry fees for FanDuel’s Week 3 tournament, with the fee at $25. (FanDuel)
229,885
Number of entries in FanDuel’s NFL Week 3 tournament. DraftKings employee Ethan Haskell came in 2nd in the tournament, winning $350,000. His win has spurred a fantasy sports “insider trading” scandal. (FanDuel)
