Fanatics Sportsbook becoming a pregame destination for Commanders and opposing fan bases

LANDOVER, Md. — An hour before the Eagles and Commanders kicked off Sunday’s game at FedEx Field, the chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S” filled the concourses between the gate entrances and field seating. Fans were scattered in different directions, looking for food and drinks and jeering the other’s fan base in a classic NFC East matchup that once again went down to the wire.

Next to the Commanders team store sits the Fanatics Sportsbook, the first of its kind inside an NFL stadium, after opening in January. But inside the sportsbook, the environment is the antithesis of what’s happening outside: calm, laid-back and a place of congregation. It’s the backdrop Fanatics was hoping for when the idea came to fruition.

“The TVs are great, it’s spacious ... it’s probably the best part of the stadium,” said Stan Dombrowski, an Eagles fan from Delaware County, sporting a kelly green Jason Kelce shirt.

Between noon and 1 p.m., a trip to the Fanatics Sportsbook is becoming a pregame destination on Sundays. The sportsbook, open seven days a week, is busiest on Commanders game days, Fanatics says.

» READ MORE: Fanatics Sportsbook at Washington’s FedEx Field looks to give fans a greater NFL viewing experience

“We’re seeing close to 500-plus customers come in on Sundays,” Kevin Hennessy, a spokesperson for Fanatics Betting and Gaming, told The Inquirer. “They’re usually coming in prior to the game, sometimes at halftime. If it’s a 1 o’clock game, they’re coming in at 4 o’clock in order to watch the 4 p.m. games while waiting for the traffic to abate.”

Still at the very beginning of its sports betting endeavor, Fanatics is finding ways to differentiate itself from FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings, and Caesars, which could be paramount for its survival.

The sportsbook is not unique to the D.C. area, with Audi Field, Capital One Arena and Nationals Park having in-stadium sportsbooks of their own. But Fanatics is targeting several different areas: casual bettors and casual NFL fans, along with attracting opposing fan bases who want to bet while visiting FedEx Field.

The space is also giving Commanders fans a place of refuge in an otherwise busy stadium game-day experience.

“We sit out here, relax, get a [spot at] the bar instead of waiting in lines out there, and get your bet in,” Alan Kemp, wearing Commanders gear, told The Inquirer. “You can see all the games and lounge before we head on to the field.”

“They should have been doing something like this — I’m glad,” added Teron Myrick, in a throwback Commanders jersey. “With gambling finally being legalized, [it’s] making my life a lot funner.”

» READ MORE: Fanatics aims to build the sportsbook of the future, betting on the long game

The Philadelphia ties between the Commanders and Fanatics are clear — Josh Harris, is the new owner of the Commanders and managing partner of the 76ers, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin sold his minority share of the 76ers last year. Although the sportsbook was approved and built well before Harris took over for Dan Snyder as the Commanders owner, it would be hard to imagine this partnership not lasting long-term, especially with how popular betting on the NFL has become.

Dombrowski and Joseph Curci, convening with Commanders and Eagles fans next to the betting kiosks inside the sportsbook, hope Lincoln Financial Field someday adds an in-stadium sportsbook of its own. The Eagles have the FanDuel Lounge, formerly the FoxBet Lounge, open on game days.

A Pennsylvania gaming act is in place to prevent a brick-and-mortar sportsbook in the Linc. According to Section 13C21 of the Pennsylvania gaming statutes, retail sportsbooks are only to exist only at Pennsylvania casinos or off-track betting facilities. “A sports wagering certificate holder may only be permitted to conduct sports wagering at a licensed facility, or an area authorized under subsection (c) (which is a location that can conduct pari-mutuel wagering at a non-primary location), or through an Internet-based system,” the stipulation reads.

Dombrowski and Curci agree that the alternate viewing inside the sportsbook is much different than either had experienced.

“I can see me leaving the game to come here watch the rest of the game,” Curci said. “We don’t [have] great seats, but I can see us coming back here watching the game if we have the time.”

Said Dombrowski: “To be able to come in here, sit down, have a couple of drinks, watch all the other games going around and other sports — it’s a little bit of a different alternative to tailgating, that’s for sure, but I still think it’s pretty fun.”