Fanduel Review - $200 Bonus
One of the big-two daily fantasy sites online, alongside DraftKings, FanDuel actually claims to be the originator of the group and of the genre entirely. According to the site, the entire idea about daily fantasy sports played for money was a cooperative effort of five friends in a backyard in Texas. Believe it or not, FanDuel has actually been around since 2009, although they just recently started turning heads with their barrage of commercials and other advertisements.
FanDuel operates by offering a short-burst style of fantasy play. For instance, rather than having to join an NFL league in the preseason, draft your players, and play through the entire season with that same line-up, a site like FanDuel actually allows you to draft a new team every single time you join one of their 20,000 leagues, and you are only locked into the league for that day (completely football day, including potentially Mondays if your players play). But before you get carried away with any type of fantasy aspirations, you may want to know about the legality of the genre.
Is Fantasy Sports Legal In The US?
Though it may leave a lot of you scratching your heads, fantasy sports in America are actually considered a game of skill. Since players have to physically participate in drafts, and since said drafts lead to a points-based system whereby players with the highest total of points accumulated win, government thereby classifies fantasy as a game of skill. So, to put it simply, fantasy sports are 100% legal in the United States. In recent weeks, government has been trying to crack the whip on regulation within the fantasy industry, to no real avail, but still there are no real calls to consider the game gambling.
Maybe this is because there are many different professional leagues backing fantasy, like the NFL and NBA, or perhaps because huge companies like Fox, The Wall Street Journal and Disney also back it up. Or maybe it's just that fantasy really does meet their definition of a skill game. Whatever their reasons, fantasy sports are perfectly legal and FanDuel is considered one of the best sites on which to play.
Pros And Cons Of Playing At Fanduel
To help you gain a better understanding about the features of FanDuel, the games and leagues offered, and other pertinent info, check out some of the pros and cons of the site.
Pros
- FanDuel is considered the industry leader in daily fantasy sites
- The interface is very clean and simplistic, giving you a straightforward layout
- The site works on mobile devices
- It is 100% legal in the US and Canada
- Players can use all major credit cards and PayPal to fund their accounts
- FanDuel actually gives you a refund for $5/$10 games if you don't like them
- Millions of dollars are given away weekly
- You can play public games vs. everyone, or just private games vs. your friends
- You can keep your same line-up, if you wish, and import it to different games
- You can play in daily or weekly leagues, and choose from over 20,000 options
Cons
- There are no traditional fantasy sports on FanDuel, only daily or weekly leagues
- There's no big chat lobby where you can congregate
- Drafting for certain league match-ups can be confusing to the uninitiated (e.g. you may have to study up on site rules)
- Promotional money may be paid out in smaller increments that become quite aggravating
How To Start Playing At Fanduel
Step 1: Signup An Account
To start out, visit Fanduel website and click on the signup button and open a new account. Make sure you have an email address that you currently use and know well. This is going to be your link to the FanDuel site, so make sure you take care in choosing your mail. After this, follow the site's instructions and select your username and activate your account. .
Step 2: Make A Deposit
After you have signed up with the site, go ahead and take a moment to mull over your depositing options. On a legal site like FanDuel, you won't have to worry about your credit cards not being accepted. Using CCs like MasterCard, Visa, Discover and AMEX work, and you can also use your PayPal gambling account and link it directly to the site for deposits. PayPal can also be used to withdrawal money instantly from FanDuel, which is very convenient.
Step 3: Get Your Free Money!
You will find a lot of cool promotional offers at FanDuel, like the $1 million NFL Bracket, the Sunday Million contest, the $600K Sunday Night Showdown, and others (be sure to read the rules). But the promo we want to deal with specifically is the welcome bonus. You can participate in the 100% deposit match bonus of up to $600. The downside here, however, is that you have to enter and compete in fantasy contests to get your money. After you compete, the money will gradually be released into your account. On the positive side, that means it's your money right away; on the negative side, it means it takes a while to clear it all. Keep your eyes peeled for regular bonuses, like the "CAFE" or "GRINDERS" bonuses offered by FanDuel.
Step 4: Pick Your League
Picking your league is as simple as navigating to the League section and scrolling down. There are literally over 20,000 different tournaments you can enter, from $1 and $10 contests to high-roller contests for hundreds or more. Just make sure that you're reading the exact rules for the contest you want to enter. You will see them pop up on the screen after clicking, and make sure you're fully aware of what you're getting into via the contest before signing up. Sports offered at FanDuel include: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, CFB; and the leagues vary and you can play head-to-head, private or public, and more.
Step 5: Draft Your Team
Once you have selected the type of tournament/league you want to play in, you will be taken to a draft page. On this page, you will see that you have a salary cap, and the idea here is to pick your roster of talent without exceeding that cap. A good player might cost you $9,000, whereas you might get a kicker for around $5,000. You should research and be frugal here. Pick your team while staying under the salary cap, and simply accumulate more points to win.
Our Overall Impression Of Fanduel
Our overall take on FanDuel is quite positive. We feel this is a great fantasy site for people who like to play a wide variety of daily and weekly fantasy leagues. They do not offer typical fantasy sports, i.e. year-round sports, but the daily fantasy is all the rage now. They have many positive things working for them. They have:
- A wide selection of leagues
- A great reputation
- Millions being paid out every single week
- Lucrative promos
- Easy Deposits And Withdrawals Via Paypal Or Credit Cards
- It's 100% legal for US players
- Easy user interface
- Excellent support
- All sports offered in daily fantasy leagues
At the end of the day, FanDuel is a great site for lovers of fantasy sports who want the thrill and excitement of playing in a quick league for serious cash.