It’s all happening in the Sports Betting sector and with the legalization of Sports Betting in New Jersey leading the way Fanduel jumped at the chance to open their first dedicated Sports Book at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Just a 25 minute drive from Times Square under the bright lights of New York City you can now place a legal Sportsbet at the Fanduel SportsBook. On a recent trip to attend the affiliate summit east, we took the liberty to cross the bridge and let you know what you can expect.
Getting there
By Bus – $9 round trip from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (10 minute walk from Time Square)
Time – 35 Minutes if the Bus is on time.
Tip – If your not familiar with the Bus Terminal get there at least 15 minutes early to purchase a ticket and find the right stop. Look for Bus 160 or 161 and its Zone 3. The terminal has great and user friendly screens to navigate bus times and where to go.
UBER – The most convenient door to door service 20 minutes with no traffic. Depending on the time of day expect to pay between $38 and $50.
Tip – Download Lyft and Fare compare. The app will automatically give you the best deal to get home with a few extra dollars.
Driving/Parking – If your the designated driver there was adequate parking and Valet service. In the event the car park was to be full they are running a shuttle service from closeby Metlife stadium that is free and drops you right at the door.
The Sports Book
Fanduel is the name and Sports Betting is the new game according to the announcement of the merger of Paddy Power Betfair and the Fanduel group. The SportsBook has the lasted technology and rivalled those that you would see in the UK or Europe, although with the location and great product comes high demand. With the online version and mobile app capabilities still not yet on the market, you can expect the Sports Book to be crowded and on a day where there was only West Coast MLB and MMA highlighted, you could expect wait times of up to 30 minutes to place a wager. This speaks volumes of the demand for the product and its future potential more so than Fanduel itself. They had a very tight turnaround to bring the Book to life and although small the atmosphere is electric and a great place to watch live events. Currently the location operates 10 teller windows, 27 televisions (some massive) and accommodates room for 490 patrons. By the start of football season, officials expect those numbers to rise to 15 tellers, 65 TVs and room for approximately 650 people. The Victory lounge offers a great atmosphere catering an end to end bar, restaurant style area and VIP lounge style seating.
It had been previously stated that the Vigs offered up by Fanduel were too high, but upon review all odds quoted were accurate and industry competitive across the board.
The Future bet products only included the NFL but I would expect that to change as the Mobile product becomes more relevant. All in all it was a great experience and the future is bright for sports betting in the state. Fanduel appears to be leading the sector in technological advancement and a very easy to use product. The Fanduel SportsBook is located right on the racetrack, so for racing fans there is several other bar areas to watch simulcast racing and place bets and live events.
Tips – If your headed there for a specific bet give yourself adequate time in the event of traffic, crowds and lines.
If you are a Jets or Giants fan you can catch the free shuttle to place a bet on the game right in front of the old clubhouse just a short walk from the tailgate area.
