Fanatics will open the first sportsbook in an NFL stadium at FedEx Field this month

Fanatics has been a major players in sports apparel and economy for years, forging official partnerships with major sports leagues, and becoming a household name. If you want an official NFL jersey, there’s a good chance you will follow a link that is connected to Fanatics. CEO Michael Rubin has been aggressive in expanding his business, and with the legalization of online gambling happening across the country, creating a branded sportsbook seems like a natural progression for the company.

The Washington Commanders and owner Dan Snyder had been working with the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Board to get a sports betting license at FedEx Field, and they received approval last August.

“Our stadium, we’ve dramatically upgraded, we’re encouraging everybody to come see all the changes we’ve done to the stadium this year,” he said. “I think it’ll be.. quite impressive. We’re going to have some big-time attendance shortly as our leadership team, Jason Wright and Trista [Langdon] and the team have done an amazing job.

“We’re very, very optimistic also on the season. We finally have ourselves a quarterback.

“But I just wanted to say thanks to everyone. I really, truly appreciate this.”

Front Office Sports is reporting that Fanatics will open it’s first retail location at FedEx Field on January 20th. This will be the first sportsbook inside an NFL stadium, but it will definitely not be the last. The NFL has had a twisted relationship with gambling, and still makes a big deal about outlawing gambling by players, coaches, and referees employed by the league. The NFL also loves money in almost all forms, and has shown a big shift towards gambling since the legalization wave has been riding high from coast-to-coast.