- SFL is designed so that another operator can license the technology, brand it, and have SFL operate it.
- The company has structured its operations to account for the probability of future compliance and regulation requirements.
- The company also offers a social gaming version of its product.
- Chief Operating Officer Seth Young, thinks contraction in the industry is likely over the next five years with many of the smaller sites disappearing.
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is one of the fastest growing sectors of igaming in the US. Approximately 41 million people play some form of fantasy sports, and daily fantasy sports has grown rapidly over the past few years. It seems you can’t watch ESPN or listen to sports radio without hearing a commercial for one of the DFS sites. The major sports leagues have embraced the industry and millions of people view it as entertainment as well as having a second screen component that enhances the enjoyment of viewing sports.
At the Global Gaming Expo earlier this month, I sat down with the Seth Young, the Chief Operating Officer of Star Fantasy Leagues (SFL). The company was founded in April of 2012 by Zach and Justin Stanley. The two brothers were high volume players on other DFS sites and were approached by some of the operators to give suggestions on how to make the sites better. However, when they saw their recommendations not being implemented they decided to develop and operate their own site. They were joined later by Seth, who has spent over 10 years in the igaming market and owns hundreds of domain names related to fantasy sports.
It is clear from talking to Seth that he is passionate about sports and the team behind SFL. He noted, “Zach Stanley, the SFL CEO, is a visionary for the space. He lives and breathes this. You couldn’t find a more perfect person to be the driving force behind a fantasy sports business. That goes for the entire team we’ve put together in Rochester, New York.”
Recently SFL received its first round of outside funding from the private equity firm International Investment and Underwriting (IIU) which was founded by Dermot Desmond. It now seems like they are ready to put some of those funds to use expanding their brand.
