SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
FantasyBet has become the first fantasy sports provider to offer daily fantasy contests for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Starting on Friday 7 June for the opening match between France and South Korea, the site will give fantasy managers the chance to pit their wits against each other in free-to-enter and pay-to-enter contests, with bigger prizes up for grabs for the more high-profile fixtures.
“The women’s game deserves a good Fantasy Football game,” said Viktor Enoksen, one of the founders at FantasyBet. “Football is simply more thrilling when you play fantasy. This is our way of adding excitement to a tournament we believe can be a gamechanger for women’s football.”
Entrants must build a squad of players within a budget cap, with points being awarded and deducted depending on how the players perform. The managers with the highest points totals at the end of each contest will win a share of the prize money.
FantasyBet are kicking off the Women’s World Cup with a 6-a-side £1,000 freeroll game that covers the opening round of group games, including England’s opener against Scotland.
“Our 6-a-side format makes it even easier for fantasy managers to build a great team,” explained Jamie Reeves, Content Manager at FantasyBet. “Managers can choose six players from one nation should they wish, or they can spread their budget across several teams that they expect to do well.
“Players can also score points for actions like key passes, goal-line clearances and battles won, but they’ll lose points for mistakes like conceding a penalty or gifting the opponent a goalscoring opportunity.
“This means players who aren’t always involved in the attacking action can still be of huge value: if you contribute to your team’s performances, you’ll be rewarded.”
FantasyBet is hoping to contribute to the growth in popularity that the women’s game has enjoyed since 2015’s World Cup. “We’re hearing more and more about women’s football,” Enoksen added. “Content creators and publishers are starting to realise that the intricacies of the women’s game are every bit as engaging and intriguing as the men’s.
“The problem has always been exposure. With our daily fantasy offering, we’re aiming to bridge the gap between the men’s and women’s game by giving fantasy managers a platform to research around the sport and pick the strongest teams possible. And they can win some cash in the process.”
When asked who they’d like to see win the tournament, Enoksen kept his cards close to his chest. “We’re an international team, so there’s definitely going to be some tension at FantasyBet HQ as the tournament progresses,” he said. “Then again, we’re hosting a special £500 tournament every time England plays, so if they get to the final that’ll mean plenty of opportunities for managers to win big.”
The team at FantasyBet has also created plenty of content to help those fantasy managers that are still yet to get to grips with the best budget striker options in the women’s game. With a guide that includes bookmakers’ odds, set-piece takers and under-the-radar bargains, plus a special podcast dedicated to women’s fantasy football, there are plenty of resources available on the site’s blog.
