PrizePicks Launches 'PrizePicks Arena,' New Peer-to-Peer Format in Four States
Much like Underdog and DraftKings before it, PrizePicks – which bills itself as the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America – is launching a peer-to-peer fantasy sports game.
Called “PrizePicks Arena” and initially launching in Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming, the game pits PrizePicks users against each other instead of against the house.
“We’re focused on expanding PrizePicks’ reach by creating new, innovative game types that push the PrizePicks brand and truly put sports fans at the center of gameplay,” Brian Huss, PrizePicks’ VP of Innovation, said in a press release. “PrizePicks Arena is an exciting new twist on the PrizePicks experience that paves the way for future product innovations.”
In PrizePicks Arena, players can win prizes by being placed in groups based on their number of entries, chosen entry fee, and experience level on the PrizePicks platform. The goal is to create the highest scoring entry in their group for a chance to win unique prizes. To play PrizePicks Arena, you can download the PrizePicks app on iOS and Android or visit PrizePicks for more details.
Last year, Underdog launched a similar product, called “Pick’em Champions,” which is another peer-to-peer game.
At the time, Underdog founder and co-CEO Jeremy Levine was not shy as to the “why” behind the launch: “Recently, a few regulators have said that in their states fantasy should be peer-to-peer. While we don’t agree with that interpretation of the law, we developed Champions to be peer-to-peer.”
Levine had previously been very outspoken on the issue, claiming DraftKings and FanDuel were working behind the scenes with lobbyists and regulators in an effort to ban pick’em-style fantasy games, in which users are generally asked to pick over/under props on fantasy output.
FanDuel and DraftKings don’t want to compete on product. Instead, they’re working the political backrooms to try to limit competition and options for customers. And then they stand up on a stage at G2E and try to mislead our entire industry. https://t.co/1MrAilovls
— Jeremy Levine (@JerLevine) October 26, 2023
Around the same time, DraftKings launched their own peer-to-peer pick’em style contest, called Pick 6.