Publication date: 20 January 2026
If you’ve been in the media buying space for a while and work with gambling or betting, you’re likely familiar with the term fantasy sports. Some consider it a form of ‘soft betting,’ others see it as a gray area between money games and entertainment, while some underestimate its potential altogether. And they shouldn’t. Fantasy sports is an enormous market, particularly thriving in the US, Canada, India, Brazil, and Europe, where it’s been operating by its own set of rules for years now, generating billions of dollars annually (source).
3S.INFO takes a calm and mature look: what fantasy sports really is, how it works and how it differs from sports betting, why regulators view it differently, and, most importantly, why affiliates and operators should start paying attention to this niche right now.
What are fantasy sports? It’s a format of games where users create virtual teams consisting of real athletes (footballers, basketball players, esports competitors, etc.). The outcome depends on how these players perform in actual matches.
The core logic behind fantasy sports always remains the same:
And here’s the key point: you don’t just guess; instead, you optimize your lineup, which perfectly aligns with the mindset of sports enthusiasts.
You don’t bet directly on event outcomes like at a bookmaker’s office. Instead, you act as a manager:
— Select your team composition;
— Allocate your budget wisely;
— Analyze player performance;
— Consider opponents, schedules, injuries.
Then watch as your team earns points according to a predetermined scoring system.
A key feature of fantasy sports is that skill matters more than luck. This distinction leads many countries to classify them not as gambling but as skill-based games, significantly impacting regulation.
Fantasy sports emerged long before mobile apps and CPA offers. The first formats originated in the U.S. back in the 60s-70s when American football and baseball fans formed leagues manually using newspapers to track statistics.
With the advent of the internet, everything accelerated rapidly:
In the 2010s, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) revolutionized the market. These formats allow participation in one-day or single-match tournaments without committing to a full season. DFS made fantasy sports resemble betting in terms of dynamics but without direct wagers on outcomes.
At first glance, everything seems similar — sport, money, competition. But if you dig deeper, the differences are fundamental.
| Betting | Fantasy sports |
| Stake placed on the outcome | No direct stake on an event |
| Dominance of randomness element | Outcome relies heavily on analytics |
| Odds set by the bookmaker | User competes against other players |
| Operator’s margin built-in beforehand | Operator profits from commissions |
That’s why in many countries, fantasy sports:
For affiliates, this translates into lower regulatory risks and greater opportunities for scaling up.
Fantasy sports and esports are fundamentally different universes united only by the word “sports” and digital environment.
Fantasy sports have evolved beyond being mere fan entertainment. It has become a fully-fledged industry with:
For affiliates, this presents opportunities to:
From a media buyer perspective, fantasy sports offer:
Fantasy sports CPA offers often pair well with:
Additionally, in certain regions, fantasy sports can be promoted where betting is formally restricted, utilizing careful phrasing and emphasizing the skill-based mechanics.
Yes, fantasy sports isn’t a silver bullet. There are nuances:
However, with proper funnel optimization and content strategy, these risks can be effectively mitigated.
Traffic for fantasy sports is a specific yet highly promising niche. Users are engaged, have high LTV (Lifetime Value), and are frequently willing to spend money.
Fantasy sports aren’t casual players. On average:
This audience is perfect for upselling:
That’s why fantasy sports are often used as an entry-level funnel into classic iGaming.
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Social Media
*Social networks Facebook and Instagram are blocked in Russia by court order.
Search Engine Marketing (Google Ads)
Direct Affiliate Program (KPI CPA): Collaborating with relevant influencers (sports bloggers, analysts) on RevShare or fixed payments. Effective for building trust.
Niche Platforms and Communities
SEO and Content Marketing
Community and UGC
Partnerships
Specific Creatives and Mechanics
The main secret: Your audience is not just athletes, they’re strategists and fans. Speak their language: numbers, tactics, emotions from sports and victory.
Fantasy is the perfect format for long-form content, guides, strategies, and player comparisons. There’s no need to aggressively push deposits since users inherently understand the product’s value.
If you view iGaming beyond just casinos and betting shops, fantasy sports is definitely a direction worth keeping an eye on. Most likely, in a couple of years, it will become just as essential in any media plan as slots or live betting.
Fantasy sports is a type of game where you build a virtual team of real athletes (football, basketball, cricket, esports, etc.) and your success depends on how those players actually perform in real matches. You’re not betting on team wins or totals. Instead, you act as a manager: selecting players within a budget limit, analyzing stats, considering player form and schedules. Then, points are awarded based on real-life achievements like goals, assists, saves, kills, etc. Essentially, it’s “gamified sports analytics” where skill and understanding of data matter more than guessing outcomes with a single click.
On the surface, it looks similar: sports, money, competition, prizes. But the underlying logic is different.In betting, you wager on the outcome of an event using odds set by a bookmaker, and you’re playing against the house’s margin. In fantasy sports, you don’t place a direct bet on a match result. Instead, you compete against other players based on how well you’ve assembled and optimized your team’s lineup. The operator earns money through entry fees, commissions, and a rake (a percentage of the prize pool), not from a pre-set margin on the odds. This key distinction is why in many countries fantasy sports are legally classified as skill-based games rather than games of chance (gambling). This often makes them legal in jurisdictions where traditional sports betting is prohibited or heavily restricted.
Fantasy sports has long had its own market, its own products, and its own giants. In the US and Canada, public companies like DraftKings and FanDuel operate in this space. In India, there’s Dream11. In Europe and Latin America, dedicated platforms for football and esports are being built around annual and daily formats. This vertical boasts its own distinct economics (commissions from prize pools, tournaments, seasonal leagues, DFS), its own regulatory models (often falling outside traditional gambling laws), and its own demographic — a solvent audience aged 25–45 who are passionate about sports and analytics. For affiliates, this already represents a separate layer in the media plan: unique offers, unique creatives, unique seasonality patterns, and distinct content strategies. It’s far more than just “another tab in a betting site.”
From a media buying standpoint, fantasy sports offer several advantages: higher LTV due to repeated participation in competitions, loyal audiences, softer advertising regulations, and fewer platform bans compared to traditional betting. CPA offers related to fantasy sports often come bundled with RevShare or hybrid models, extending player retention via seasonal and daily formats tied to regular deposits corresponding to matches and tournaments. Additionally, in certain regions, fantasy sports can be promoted where direct betting is heavily restricted, focusing on skills, analytics, and sports statistics rather than pure gambling.
Despite all its benefits, fantasy sports isn’t a magical green corridor. In top GEOs, competition is fierce. The U.S., India, and large football markets are dominated by strong players, making entry difficult without a solid product and marketing strategy. The product is more complex for newcomers than a typical betting slip: you must explain the mechanics, showcase the value of analytics, and avoid overwhelming users with excessive statistics. Moreover, the vertical heavily depends on sports seasons and calendars (cricket, football, NFL, esports) and requires thoughtful content and seasonal funnels during off-season periods to prevent performance drops.
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