Betting, gaming and fantasy sports operator FanDuel announced it has donated $1 million to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), seeking to provide support for students from Maryland’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
Deepening UNCF Partnership
The one-million-dollar check was presented to the UNCF at a special event that took place at the FanDuel Sportsbook at Live!Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland, this week.
Former Washington Commanders wide receiver Santana Moss was the special guest of the event which was also attended by executives from the UNCF and FanDuel.
Speaking at the event, president of FanDuel Group Christian Genetski began by expressing the operator’s contentment “to be able to legally offer” sports betting in Maryland.
Maryland officially launched mobile sports wagering on November 23 and just days ago, the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency published its first report to include mobile sportsbooks in which FanDuel was the leader with a mobile betting handle of nearly $90 million.
“More importantly, we’re proud to partner with UNCF once again in support of Maryland’s HBCU community,” Genetski continued, outlining that the goal of the operator is “that these funds help make a difference in the lives of hard-working students” some of who may well join as interns FanDuel during its summer program.
The money donated by FanDuel will go toward Maryland’s four HBCUs, Morgan State University, Bowie State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, providing support for students by assisting with their expenses in a variety of areas such as technology, housing, food security, tuition and other education-related expenses.
Track for Student Internships
The partnership with the UNCF allowed FanDuel to create a track for students from the four schools to join the operator’s summer internship program that will take place at FanDuel’s headquarters in New York.
FanDuel and the UNCF began their collaboration in February 2021 when the gaming operator, together with the Washington Football Team, made $1 million donation to the UNCF to be used as an Emergency Student Aid Fund for students enrolled at Virginia’s five HBCUs at that time, assisting in expenses related to tuition, housing, technology, food security and others.
On the business side, the Flutter Entertainment-owned gaming brand in the US launched its dedicated cable television network, FanDuel TV, in September, offering a combination of live sports coverage and sports wagering content.
Recently, FanDuel announced an NBA-centric show on FanDuel TV, Run It Back, as part of its initiatives to engage with audiences and expand its presence nationwide.