FanDuel Releases New Android App with Full Access to Contests
FanDuel has released a new Android app which allows users to create and join games on their phone, something previously unavailable due to Google’s rules for the platform.
Android users who shop in the Google Play store for apps are lacking in options when it comes to DFS, as Google’s Developer Program Policy states “We don’t allow content or services that facilitate online gambling, including but not limited to, online casinos, sports betting and lotteries, or games of skill that offer prizes of cash or other value.”
So even though FanDuel is legal in nearly every state, Google’s strict policy against real money wagering (even in games of skill) meant users could only find a “companion app” for FanDuel on their app store.
FanDuel has circumvented this process by releasing an app hosted on their website, which offers all the features you’d want (and expect if you’re an iOS user) from a daily fantasy sports app. If you’re an Android user who has ever laid hands on the iOS version of the FD app, you already know what to expect.
But for those who have been stuck with just the limited live-scoring abilities of the Android version, you can now upgrade to a fully supported, fully featured app that will allow you to find and enter contests, as well as track them in progress, and also manage your balance and withdraw funds.
We give a tip of the hat to Legal Sports Report for finding out about this new offering, as well as reporting on FanDuel’s acquisition a Poker, and many, many more mobile properties.
According to LSR, the Orlando office was working on a free fantasy football game when they were let go by Zynga, and offer FanDuel plenty of web and mobile experience from a development and strategy standpoint. This will be a valuable asset for a company with a website and multiple mobile apps that see plenty of traffic on a daily basis.
But it sounds like Mike Taramykin, the leader of the Orlando office and a new Vice President with FanDuel, sees ways that his work with Zynga will line up with FanDuel’s plans for the future. This means that the DFS giant likely has some new projects in the works, and that this new set of personnel and resources will be important in the development of these new products or services.
Mobile connectivity is crucial for any business with an online presence, and FanDuel is obviously taking steps to serve the mobile market the right way. It will be interesting to see what other projects they have in store to build off of their tremendously successful daily fantasy sports foundation.