Sports betting giant FanDuel announced that it is donating $52,000 to the Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, New York.
The operator, which is the official partner of NFL’s Buffalo Bills, decided to make the donation following a gesture by the Kansas City Chiefs, a rival NFL team that recently donated over $300,000 to the cause.
The two teams competed in an official NFL game on Sunday, January 23 and, despite the Chiefs taking home the win, it was the city of Buffalo that truly won, as the game was a true display of sportsmanship and everything that the sports should be.
After the Chiefs’ fans raised so much for the hospital, the kind-hearted folks at FanDuel were inspired to contribute as well, ponying up $13,000 for every touchdown that the Buffalo Bills quarterback John Allen scored in Sunday’s game.
FanDuel’s CEO, who grew up in Buffalo as an avid Bills fan, stated: “Growing up in Buffalo, and forever a die-hard Bills fan, I was proud of how the team competed in last Sunday’s game despite the outcome.”
“But our company was more inspired by the incredible display of sportsmanship shown by Chiefs fans in support of Bills Mafia, who themselves have a legendary history of philanthropy. This gesture between fanbases inspired us to make our own contribution.”
Sports Betting Becoming a Part of Daily Life in NY
While it is only February, last month’s launch of legal sports betting in the state of New York is very likely to be the biggest event of the year for the gaming industry as a whole.
On January 8. the launch day, four sportsbooks launched in the Empire State, including FanDuel and DraftKings, the leaders in US sports betting.
As expected, the opening weekend of the first NY sportsbooks was a massive success, with thousands of sports fans jumping at the opportunity to make their first fully legal sports wagers from their mobile devices within the first few days.
As one of the largest and most vibrant states in the country, New York is a market that sportsbooks like FanDuel were waiting to enter for a very long time. Operators will be looking to capitalize on that goal finally being realized and we are sure to see more join the fray and promotions aplenty throughout the coming months.
While experts warn of gambling addiction and other risks associated with increased access to sports betting and online gambling in general, the introduction of legal betting will also work in part to reduce the epidemic of illegal bookies, an industry that was worth millions in the past years in NY alone.
What’s more, legal bookmakers like FanDuel have come in with a variety of responsible gambling campaigns and will continue to involve themselves in socially beneficial programs and initiatives such as the most recent donation to the Buffalo children’s hospital.
Gambling may not be an industry that’s generally thought of as being good for the community as a whole, but there are a few big ways in which the industry gives back. The fresh NY legal sports betting market is sure to generate a substantial amount of tax revenue that will go back into the community and towards various social programs. Between tax revenue, operators giving back, responsible gaming initiatives, and the reduction of illegal bookmaking, the state of New York has likely made a move that will benefit all of its residents in some way.
