From LSU to Leeds: Olivia Dunne Headlines Fanatics Sportsbook’s U.S. Expansion

Olivia Dunne, the gymnast, influencer and high-profile girlfriend of one of the best pitchers in Major League baseball, has joined the sports gambling industry.

And she is doing it with an American sportsbook, BetFanatics, which recruits its gambling advisors out of Leeds, England, as well as having an apparel deal with the reigning UEFA Champions League winners, Paris St. Germain. 

Odds on her becoming the world’s most famous female athlete are off the board. Yes, she is too popular to have any competition.

“As a proud member of the Fanatics family, I’m excited to partner with Fanatics Sportsbook to welcome more people into the sports world in a fresh way,” Dunne said. 

“It’s easy to use, genuinely fun, and makes the whole experience feel more like being part of the game.”

Dunne’s New Role as Sportsbook Endorser

American sportsbooks have been using celebrity endorsers for several years ever since sports gambling became legalised in 2017, but Dunne is the first high-profile female athlete to become a high-level endorser.

Dunne, a competitive gymnast at Louisiana State University, has produced three televised advertisements designed to appeal to gamblers who trend toward U.S. college football and NFL football. 

It is an aggressive marketing move by BetFanatics, which took over the licenses formerly owned by Australia-based PointBet and is using the Fanatics apparel brand customer list to reach out to prospective punters. Fanatics is a privately held company owned by Michael Rubin, who also owns the Philadelphia 76etrs of the NBA.

Just in time for the start of football, the new broadcast and digital series, “Explained by Livvy Dunne,” kicks off with three cinematic ads aimed to stand out in the category.

From a full-sized clawfoot bathtub sitting on the 50-yard line of the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium to eating a turkey leg in the stands and moving across the field on the back of a football blocking sled, Dunne playfully breaks down why customers should switch to Fanatics Sportsbook.

The 30-second and 15-second advertising spots tout BetFanatics in surprising ways and will run across linear and digital channels in priority markets. Directed by Grammy-winning filmmaker Calmatic, known for Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Squabble Up,” the series taps into Fanatics’ cultural influence to reach both new and existing bettors.

"As a disruptor brand, Fanatics Sportsbook is rewriting the category playbook. By leveraging the power of Fanatics and working with a cultural force like Livvy, we’re telling our story in a way that expands our reach with existing betting audiences – and speaks to new ones, too,” Fanatics Betting and Gaming Chief Marketing Officer Selena Kalvaria told SportsBoom.com. 

"With Livvy, we have a national champion showing up in unexpected ways to explain what makes Fanatics Sportsbook different, and more rewarding, for sports fans.”

Leeds Tech Hub: How Fanatics is Building Its Betting Empire Overseas

Because of the number of gambling industry experts in Great Britain, Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG), a subsidiary of Fanatics Inc., the global digital sports platform, has grown its tech presence in Leeds.

Six gambling brands have offices in the city: Caesars, BetMGM, Evoke, Angstrom, Midnite, Flutter and now Fanatics Betting and Gaming.  FBG’s new Leeds-based operations will be led by Conor Grant, a well-respected gaming executive with a history of building successful teams in the gaming world.    

Fanatics is the first non-gaming or legacy casino company to launch a sports betting and iCasino business in the United States, and Leeds will be a focal point of the company’s expansion plans. 

“Building a sports betting and iCasino product from scratch requires talent and expertise that you can’t find in the United States,” company spokesman Kevin Hennessy said.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming will be making a significant impact in the Leeds tech community with a plan to expand the company’s iCasino and sports betting businesses by increasing the workforce in Leeds by 10 percent and moving into new office space at Richmond House, Lawnswood Business Park.

Founded in 1995, Fanatics also has acquired the fashion brand Mitchell and Ness, along with trading card company Topps. 

Fanatics Sportsbook’s Unique Promotions

Fanatics has online, sports venue and vertical apparel partnerships worldwide with all major professional sports leagues and hundreds of collegiate and professional teams, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, Formula One and the Australian Football League, along with a 10-year licensing, manufacturing and e-commerce partnership with Paris St. Germain, a similar exclusive merchandise partnership with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and is launching the first global e-commerce platform as part of an agreement with the International Olympic Committee, which will run through the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Each spot featuring Dunne will debut the new tagline, “Winning Hits Different Here.” 

The ads highlight Fanatics Sportsbook’s unique offerings, including the following:

Game Day Guarantee: For every college and pro football game day – 26 days total from now through October – where new customers will get up to $100 in “FanCash” back if their first football bet loses on game day.

“Fair Play” protection that now protects all pro football player prop bets and refunds or pays out as a win if a bettor’s player is ruled out due to a first-half injury. 

“Fan Cash” that can be redeemed on apparel, exclusive shopping experiences, Bonus Bets, profit boosts, Casino Credits, tickets, live card breaks and fixed-price trading card purchases on Fanatics Collect.

The campaign went live Monday, August 18, across all major U.S. television networks, on various podcasts, and on social media. It will run throughout the entire football season, starting with a major launch during College Football Week 1 and Pro Football Weeks 1-5, with major pushes around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the college and NFL playoffs. The work represents the first campaign with new creative agency partner Anomaly.