The Fanatics Sportsbook at Progressive Field, which hosts the MLB Cleveland Guardians, has permanently shut down.
Crain’s Cleveland Business reported on Monday that the Guardians had closed the Fanatics Sportsbook just under two years after its launch in August 2023. The retail sports betting venue replaced a previous New Era sports merchandise shop, which has been the exclusive supplier of baseball caps for Major League Baseball since 1993.
Situated near the Right Field District Gate, the Fanatics Sportsbook operated from 2 pm to 8 pm on weekdays and from 11 am to 9 pm on weekends. The sportsbook was open two hours prior to the first pitch until the end of each Guardians home game.
With online betting permitted in Ohio, physical sportsbooks have had difficulty remaining significant. Approximately 98% of the $9 billion in legal sports wagers placed in Ohio last year were made online. Retail revenue reached $16.5 million, while online sportsbook winnings exceeded $882.9 million.
Cleveland Sportsbook Visitor Volume
Progressive Field is situated to the southeast of downtown Cleveland. When the Guardians and/or nearby NBA Cavaliers are not playing, the vicinity isn’t frequently traversed by pedestrians, since the stadiums are adjacent to Ontario St. and the bustling Interstate 90 crossroad. Consequently, there was frequently limited foot traffic to the Fanatics Sportsbook.
As per the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), the entity overseeing online and retail sports wagering, the Fanatics Sportsbook located at Progressive Field attracted only $872,775 in betting amounts in 2024. Despite the Guardians capturing the American League Central title with the second-best record in the AL and advancing far in the playoffs before falling to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, Fanatics remains one of the least-bet retail sportsbooks in the state due to its poor performance.
Out of the approximately $873K bet, Fanatics oddsmakers at the Progressive Field venue retained only $56,676 from the bets, resulting in a 6.5% hold.
At the local Caesars Sportsbook at Rocket Arena, a comparable choice was made to close the retail sportsbook operation. The approximately 10,000-square-foot venue has been transformed into the Caesars Atrium Club, an exclusive area designated for Cavs United and Caesars Rewards participants.
FanDuel and DraftKings Lead
In addition to being situated in challenging pedestrian zones on non-gamedays, the Fanatics and Caesars sportsbooks probably faced difficulties from having a small market share in Ohio's sports gambling sector. Numerous Ohio residents and visitors choose to use their smartphones to make legal wagers in the Buckeye State, as it offers customer incentives and greater convenience compared to going to the physical counter or kiosk.
By January 2025, both Fanatics and Caesars Sportsbooks held approximately 5% of the legal sports betting market in the United States. FanDuel leads the market with 37%, while DraftKings closely follows at 35.5%. The information originates from Casino Reports, which monitors sportsbook market share in relation to handle and revenue.
Fanatics continues to be hopeful about its ability to rival the two major competitors. The sportsbook keeps growing, though the pace of growth has tapered compared to 2023 and the previous year following Fanatics' purchase of PointsBet for $225 million.
Fanatics maintains its retail sportsbook at Nationwide Arena, where the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets play.
