Report: New York Sports Bettors Still Undecided on Operator Preferences

LAS VEGAS – Brand loyalty is still up for grabs in New York’s nascent sports betting market, according to a new report from the research arm of Betting Hero, an American Affiliate brand.

The report finds that the New York sports betting market remains largely unclaimed, despite operators spending record figures in the race for customer acquisition.

In the first three months of New York’s sports betting launch, sports bettors used an average of 3.3 sports betting apps—notably higher than New Jersey’s average of 2.8 apps. Betting Hero Research found that bettors were more likely to remain loyal to a brand’s app if they had used it previously in another state rather than if it was the first app they used in New York.

For instance, FanDuel had the highest retention among all operators, with a 76% retention rate with first-time New York sports bettors. The retention rate jumped to 89% among respondents who had used FanDuel previously in other markets—signaling that brand loyalty crosses state lines.

Nevertheless, consumers cited preferences among operators’ apps. NY sports bettors rated DraftKings and FanDuel the highest in functionality and ease of use. FanDuel ranked highest among parlay bettors, while DraftKings was preferred among straight bettors. Additionally, 47% of respondents cited Caesars as having the most memorable sports betting advertisement—more than double DraftKings, the next closest operator.

“Our research takes a deep dive into the mind of the New York bettor and their experience thus far,” said Jai Maw, co-founder and president of Betting Hero. “The launch of sports betting in New York is one of the biggest industry developments in years. While many questions remain about this market, our research provides the best initial findings available.”

Betting Hero has had more than 2 million face-to-face interactions with consumers, providing unparalleled insight into the minds of sports bettors. Betting Hero Research provides product/feature testing, voice of customer research, and competitive analysis to its clients. As a part of those efforts, Betting Hero Research now produces a monthly subscription research product. Each month, they will focus on a new state, covering the trends, gaps, strengths, opportunities, and movements in the market through their voice of customer research studies.

About the Report

The report collected data from New York residents in March 2022. Betting Hero Research’s survey required that respondents be experienced mobile bettors, over the age of 21, and current residents of New York State. Betting Hero Research sourced 90% of the data via online surveys and phone interviews and collected the remaining 10% in person at New York sporting events.

About Betting Hero

Betting Hero is the #1 Live Activation company in the Sports Betting and iGaming industry having delivered over 250,000 New-Depositing-Customers to the nation’s top operators. In addition to best-in-class customer acquisition and retention, Betting Hero provides operators and service providers with access to real-time consumer research and product/feature testing.

About American Affiliate

American Affiliate is a North American pure-play affiliate company focused on generating new depositing customers for online sportsbooks, casinos, daily fantasy and poker platforms.

American Affiliate is the only true omni-channel affiliate, covering both retail and digital

activation across legal U.S. states and Canadian provinces. American Affiliate owns and operates numerous brands, including Betting Hero, BetPrep, Props, and Wagers and is managed by a group of industry experts with decades of experience in the U.S. and global gaming market.