Barstool sought no big headlines when it soft-launched in New Jersey last week. The news was quickly picked up by media, though with the sportsbook still keeping a low profile. Instead of releasing a press release or even urging players to come and try the platform, Barstool banked on word-of-mouth marketing, and it has worked a treat.
Over the weekend, the platform was packed with the 500 users allowed to queue up for a chance to test Barstool’s famed sports betting platform. New Jersey is traditionally a market that has not shied away from new operators. Three years after the sports betting industry was legalized in the Garden State, new operators are still joining.
Barstool is one of those late-arrivals that nevertheless feels like it’s standing on a firm foothold, and perhaps enough to secure market share from established mastodons as DraftKings, FanDuel, and most recently BetMGM.
What’s the Net Value for New Jersey Bettors?
Now, the arrival of a yet new sportsbook should not upset the current landscape by too much. In fact, it should keep it fairly the same. However, Barstool is a unique brand that was built as a community of sports fans, and that is precisely what gives it such an immense staying power throughout the US betting landscape.
At a time when offshoresportsbooks.com has some of the most competitive sportsbooks for US players readily available, Barstool is taking the fight right to their front door. The company believes that it better reflects the sports culture and tribalism about certain sports communities better than any other operator on the market.
It’s not a matter of competitive odds but of experiences. Barstool Sportsbook is soft-launching as an online platform, but the Barstool retail sportsbook should be coming shortly after. This will help imprint the company’s identity on New Jersey, creating a new added-value place where sports fans can feel right at home.
Not only that but the arrival of a high-value company such as Barstool will help liven up the local sports betting landscape a little jolt that will result in better-priced odds and even more new products to look forward to.
How Are Local Competitors Going to Take It?
With a lot happening around the country, DraftKings is not very likely to immediately see Barstool as a threat. The company is pushing with a brand-new marketplace for non-fungible tokens, the types of digital assets that allow you to buy sports memorabilia, and it believes that would be enough to keep it ahead in the game.
FanDuel has one of the biggest shares, and it’s often the go-to option for many players, while BetMGM has long been decisive in pursuing its own strategies and never caving into what a competitor may or may not do.
Despite the air of nonchalance, local operators are surely going to take notice of the fact that Barstool is trying to steal market share from what are their stomping grounds. Of course, Barstool is not launching immediately, so operators have some time to adapt still. Whatever they do, it should benefit the average New Jersey sports bettor.