FanDuel Sportsbook Crowns Orlando Apollos AAF Champs
April 3, 2019, New York, NY — This week, FanDuel was disheartened to hear that the Alliance of American Football (AAF) decided to cease operations prior to the Championship game of the league’s inaugural season. As a company with its roots as a startup, we know all too well the growing pains associated with building a new disruptive company in technology and sports.
Since the league was unfortunately unable to crown a champion, FanDuel Sportsbook will do so. Today, FanDuel Sportsbook Risk and Trading Team has declared the Orlando Apollos the AAF Champions and will pay out all straight futures bets as winners (with site credit). We want to congratulate the Orlando players, staff and especially head coach Steve Spurrier for an impressive season. If we had the official power, FanDuel would also name Spurrier – AAF Coach of the Year.
For the fans that bet on the AAF, the least they should expect is for a competition to conclude as it should. Because the FanDuel Sportsbook loves football and we believe this is the very definition of a bad beat for sports fans everywhere, we are also going to pay out straight future wagers for all AAF teams as winners (with site credit).
“The AAF should be commended for trying to do something disruptive in the sports landscape, and we hope this symbolic gesture shows the players and coaches that sports fans everywhere appreciated the hard work and sacrifices they made,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “While we’ve declared the Apollos honorary champions, we think the biggest winners should be our customers and hope they enjoy their payouts.”
About FanDuel Group
FanDuel Group is an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. The premier gaming destination in the United States, FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, and TV/media, including FanDuel, Betfair US, DRAFT, and TVG. FanDuel Group has a presence across 45 states and 8 million customers. The company is based in New York with offices in California, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, and Scotland. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of PaddyPower Betfair plc, a leading international sports betting and gaming operator and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange.