SuperDraft CEO Steve Wang: “In a National Landscape Overpopulated by Real Money Books, Social Bettors Are Looking for Alternatives”

The United States is welcoming the expansion of sports betting with open arms and, despite some holdout states across the country, the general consensus supports the adoption of more liberal sports betting laws.

Yet, the majority of sportsbooks seem to focus on the real money experience where participants have to spend hard-earned cash to participate in various contests. The social element seems to be somewhat overlooked.

This is not an issue anymore as SuperDraft, Inc, the daily fantasy platform by Caesars Entertainment Inc., is looking to make a difference by enabling casual sports fans to win without spending a dime.

The rewards vary, but they are linked to various exclusive VIP experiences from Caesars Rewards that will incentivize many winners to head over to retail properties and enjoy some of the perks they have won through their sports betting acumen.

The rewards are not limited to physical properties and you can claim your VIP benefits at various online properties, too, Caesars sports and online gaming co-president Eric Hession said in a statement announcing the release of the app.

“The SuperDraft Free Sportsbook is unlike anything fans have ever seen,” added company CEO & founder Steve Wang who has agreed to answer some of our questions about SuperDraft and the future of social sports betting in the United States.

Q: Just when we think we have seen it all, someone comes up with something like SuperDraft Free Sportsbook. What’s the main incentive for you to create a free-to-play solution and put great rewards on top?

A: The free-to-play app is the second gaming platform for us, which comes on the heels of our daily fantasy app that we launched in Sept 2019. Our Sportsbook strategy is to give new and casual fans an opportunity to engage with their favorite teams in a new way and cash-in on their sports IQ without any financial risk. We are building a user base in states where sports betting isn’t legal and giving them an app experience what looks and feels like a real sportsbook. The goal is to educate casual fans on how to bet and more importantly – how to win big – so when we have a real money sportsbook or iGaming product, we have an engaged and loyal fan base.

Q: How important are social bettors to you? Do you see SuperDraft Free Sportsbook as a way to convert them to more regular bettors?

A: In a national landscape overpopulated by real money books, social bettors are looking for alternatives. Social bettors are therefore critical to our business, industry and to our customer experience. The free-to-play option helps us broaden our reach and gain traction for our fantasy product as well as grow our user base by gamifying sports betting. We believe that there is huge potential for new users and players in markets where sports betting isn’t legal yet.

Q: How high does SuperDraft aim? Do you want to see an army of social bettors or just let the offer grow organically and make use of Caesars’ well-established footprint?

A: We are building products that people want to play, day in and day out. We have a daily, weekly and monthly leaderboard to incentivize their behavior.  I believe that we have a great opportunity to engage with both casual and regular bettors with our free-to-play app. We’ll be rolling out some innovative new ways for fans to play and win money. Through our unique and innovative prizes, including Caesars rewards and our top-of-the-line technology, we expect users to both come back and share their positive experience with others.

Q: Do you reckon others will now follow your example and seek better synergies between mainstream brands and social offers. How big is the potential market for social betting?

A: Creating innovative ways for sports fans to play, win and have fun will continue to be important and could likely be adopted by others. Casino partners, sports teams and leagues, restaurants are all examples of partnerships that reach more fans and keep them engaged.

Q: What sets SuperDraft apart from other potential rivals? Where do your strengths lie?

A: Our main strength is that this company was built by people who understand sports bettors. We listen to the market because we are the market. We’re creating a brand that is offering something for everyone and we’ll have new products to talk about soon.

Q: What’s next for you from here on in? How will SuperDraft continue to innovate and bring satisfactory experience to players?

A: We’re working on an innovative way to engage fans to play more including developing an iCasino product as well as a first-of-its-kind fantasy poker product.