Don’t Judge a Sportsbook by its DFS Coverage

Indiana Online Sportsbook Accounts & DFS Accounts

While most of the country was blissfully accessing paid daily fantasy sports apps as early as 2012, Hoosiers were not. The 2005 prohibition of online gambling prevented them from betting on anything over the internet. So, when lawmakers chose to regulate DFS in 2016, opening the doors for major operators like DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo Sports, it was kind of a big deal. And when sports betting came along in 2019, it was colossal.

Most people who already had an account with DraftKings or FanDuel weren’t worried about who else might join the iGaming ranks in Indiana. Why bother sifting through the streams of operators when you already have a funded account with a trusted bookmaker? But as anyone who followed this all-too-common thought pattern soon found out, it did matter.

Lawmakers chose to mandate the separation of sportsbook accounts and DFS accounts. They felt that the two gaming verticals were simply too different to meld into one. DFS is, in their eyes, a skill-based form of betting – which is how it earned legal status in the first place. Straight-up bets on sports would be predominantly skill-based too, if it weren’t for the shifting of lines by oddsmakers.

The whole purpose of “spread betting” is to slide the odds back as close to 50/50 as possible. Doing so drives the market more towards luck than skill. Many other betting styles, like propositions, futures and multi-leg parlays, can rely largely on luck as well. So, in order to cater to traditional sports betting, it was decided that player accounts should be kept separate, even when a bettor is registered with the same operator.

Don’t Judge a Sportsbook by its DFS Coverage

I’ve heard this said too many times to ignore, and I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea: “I’m just going to use FanDuel Sportsbook, since I already have a DFS account there.”

Yes, you have a DFS account, but you’ll have to verify a separate account, and make separate deposits, to bet in the sportsbook. Here’s the really confusing part. You can’t make a sportsbook wager with money you’ve deposited into your DFS account, but you can make a sportsbook wager with money you’ve won wagering in your DFS account.

Money deposited for DFS can only be used on DFS, but the money you win is yours to do with what you want – including betting in the sportsbook. It’s not quite the same as maintaining two separate accounts, but pretty close.

If that’s the case, why would anyone limit their betting to a single online operator? You owe it to yourself to at least shop around. You might find a better variety of sports, greater odds, more valuable promotions, a more user-friendly mobile app, or any other number of reasons to join a non-DFS bookmaker. That’s not even taking into account the ability to shop the lines for arbitrage and hedge betting opportunities.

There are only two Indiana iGaming operators that extend their services to both sports and fantasy sports customers. They are, of course, DraftKings and FanDuel. After the first year of legal sports betting activity, these two are clearly dominating the market. DraftKings and FanDuel combined handled 92% of all mobile sports wagers in the 2020 fiscal year. Again, this is largely due to brand familiarity. Data suggests that most bettors who chose to shop around signed up with BetRivers, which was responsible for 7% of Indiana’s sports wagers in the same time period. The last 1% was handled by all of the state’s other online operators collectively.

Let’s take a look at their rules on separating sports and DFS account balances.

What DraftKings Says about Sportsbook & DFS Accounts

The DraftKings FAQ section asks and answers the following questions pertaining to sports/DFS account segregation:

Question: “If I have a DraftKings account, can I use it to bet on Sportsbook?” Their answer:
Answer: “To comply with sports betting regulations, users with a DraftKings account must verify and meet the eligibility requirements before being permitted to bet on Sportsbook. You will be asked to provide your full name, address, date of birth, email address, telephone number, and social security number.”

Question: “Why can’t my daily fantasy sports account’s funds be used for sports betting?”
Answer: “You are only permitted to use contest winnings won on DFS to place a bet on Sportsbook. For example, if you deposit $20.00 into your DFS account, you must play through that $20.00 into daily fantasy contests before you can use those funds to make a bet on your Sportsbook account.”

Question: “Why can I use my card to fund my DFS account but not my Sportsbook account?”
Answer: “Some issuing banks do not allow sportsbook transactions. A card you used to fund your Daily Fantasy sports account might not work to fund your sportsbook account. In the meantime, we recommend that you use another payment method like a bank transfer.”

You’ll find similar information on FanDuel’s Indiana DFS & Sportsbook website.

Considerable Mention Goes to BetRivers Indiana

We noted previously on this website that BetRivers has a lot of great qualities for sports bettors. It’s got one of the largest selections of leagues and events to bet on, a wide variety of payment options, and by far the most rewarding VIP program. What it does not have is a DFS betting vertical. But this shouldn’t sway you against joining the operator, or at least looking into its qualities to see if they align with your needs. For more info, see our:

• Review of BetRivers Indiana Mobile Sportsbook