Building a brand identity
FanDuel Casino’s rapid ascent to become the #1 iGaming brand in the US was built on a fundamental shift in approach.
Asaf Noifeld, Managing Director, Andrew Gradwell, Senior VP of Product, Daniele Phillips, VP of Marketing, and James Davison, Commercial VP, explain how they reinvented the casino arm of FanDuel, Flutter’s market-leading US operator, to create a distinctive standalone brand.
Gradwell:
"When I joined in early 2022, the product was very immature, and our strategy was still in its infancy. The goal was to close the gap with competitors by developing and evolving a product designed specifically for the US market."
Phillips:
"We were making money through gaming, but predominantly via cross-sell from sports betting customers. The question was whether we could ever be seen as more than that. The first six months were about building the foundations to create something that was customer-led and fun."
Was there anything different about US casino players?
Gradwell:
"The US has a deep culture of visiting land-based casinos – around 40-50% of Americans visit a casino each year, compared to roughly 2% in the UK. That shapes their expectations. They’re looking for games they know from the casino floor, like Huff and Puff, rather than the online-first titles popular in Europe. US players know their slots, they know their table games and they expect that experience to feel authentic online."
Phillips:
"We moved away from endorsements by sports stars and celebrities and instead focused on building a brand identity fit for the casino customer. Things like Reward Machine, a daily free-to-play game that gives players a chance to win up to $2,000, made a huge difference, as did exclusive launches like World of Wonka, a slots game linked to the Willy Wonka movie franchise."
Noifeld:
"Think of it like this: a McDonald’s ice-cream is fine if you’re already there for a burger. But if you’re going to an ice-cream shop, you expect better choice, specific branding, loyalty rewards, unique flavors. We had to become that shop. Everything was rethought for direct casino players."
How did marketing and partnerships shape the customer experience?
Phillips:
“Our goal was to make marketing an extension of the customer experience, not a layer on top. That meant focusing on entertainment – like working with Vegas Matt, the number one casino streamer on YouTube, to create content people genuinely want to watch.”
Davison:
“Everything we did was about creating a better experience, not just running promotions. Exclusive content, personalized offers and entertainment-led campaigns gave customers more reasons to play with us and stay with us.”
Noifeld:
"We built a team of experts from across the business, including Sky Vegas and PokerStars in the UK. That’s the Flutter Edge, our ability to draw on the expertise and experience of the entire Flutter group. Everyone was on the same page, shared the same vision and worked together to deliver seamless customer experience."
Davison:
"We had people who already knew what success looked like and how to collaborate. That made the difference, because you can’t build this kind of growth in isolation."
What role did geo-targeted marketing and state-by-state strategy play?
Phillips:
"Unlike sports betting, which is legal in roughly half of US states, online casino gaming in the US is permitted in just five, including New Jersey and Michigan. That makes national campaigns inefficient, so our media strategy was hyper-local. For example, we focused TV buying on key designated market areas and used digital channels to fill in coverage where broadcast couldn’t. We also had to reach new demographics, particularly more women and slightly older players, because the typical sports bettor just wasn’t our core audience anymore."
Davison:
"In a market where features are easily replicated, you have to think beyond quick wins and build a product and brand that players truly connect with and love. That’s what will continue to set us apart and keep us ahead."
Noifeld:
"Innovation. We want to maintain our lead, so we’ll keep investing in loyalty, exclusive content and better experiences for our customers, such as improved discovery for new games and the next generation of our Rewards Club. But it is culture that is key; we behave like a market leader with the mindset and hunger of a challenger. That’s what keeps us sharp."
By putting product and customer experience at the heart of its strategy, and tailoring global expertise to local preferences, the FanDuel Casino team built a market leader at pace. The next challenge: staying there.
