Daily fantasy sports operator PrizePicks unveiled a new game Thursday that takes its existing pick ’em format and allows users to compete against each other for prizes. It also marks the Georgia-based company’s first foray into Tennessee.
PrizePicks Arena will allow contestants to play for guaranteed prizes. Entrants will be grouped by the number of selections they make, the size of their entry fee and their experience level. DFS players can win prizes by having the highest-scoring entry within their group or submitting a perfect entry.
Tennessee is one of four states where the Georgia-based fantasy operator is launching the game Thursday, joining Alabama, West Virginia and Wyoming. PrizePicks said it anticipates expanding into more states in the near future. Tennessee sports betting, which has been legal since 2019, and fantasy games in the state are managed by different licensing processes.
Contestants can access the game on PrizePicks’ website or its mobile app, which is available in both iOS and Android formats.
Regulators Question Single-Player Pick’ Em
The rollout of new games comes as PrizePicks and other fantasy sports operators offering pick ’em contests have seen their games scrutinized in several states. Gaming regulators in Michigan and New York passed new rules banning single-player fantasy games, like PrizePicks, where contestants submit an entry that can include athletes from multiple teams and sports and choose whether each athlete will go over or stay under a certain statistical threshold for a game or event. Other states, including Florida and Wyoming, sent cease-and-desist letters to those fantasy operators.
In the single-player pick ’em game, which will not be available in Tennessee, the contestant’s entry plays against the operator. Depending on the type of game they choose, contestants can win money if all or some of their selections are correct.
Critics, including some sports betting operators, say such contests are just sports bets, with the entries being the same as player proposition parlays. The new game unveiled Thursday is still a pick ’em game, but it acts like more traditional fantasy contests that feature entrants competing against each other by submitting lineups.
Players 19 and older can participate in PrizePicks Arena in Tennessee. The state’s rules on fantasy sports differ from those regarding sports betting. To place a bet with a licensed operator, such as FanDuel, DraftKings or BetMGM Sportsbook Tennessee, bettors must be 21 or older.
Latest In New PrizePicks Contests
PrizePicks has already unveiled new games in some states. In Alabama, it redesigned its pick ’em game. Contestants there are only allowed to create an entry of “combo” picks, with each selection including two players and a combined statistical threshold.
Last November, PrizePicks unveiled a free-to-play game after it shut down its real-money format after the rule change. Contestants also play against each other in that format and compete for cash prizes by earning points for successful entries.
“We’re focused on expanding PrizePicks’ reach by creating new, innovative game types that push the PrizePicks brand and truly put sports fans at the center of gameplay,” said Brian Huss, PrizePicks’ vice president of innovation, in a statement Thursday. “PrizePicks Arena is an exciting new twist on the PrizePicks experience that paves the way for future product innovations.”
We aren't sure if PrizePicks will offer promotions on these contests, but you can check out our TN sports betting promos page in the meantime.
Background On PrizePicks
PrizePicks was founded in 2017, and in recent years, it has enjoyed substantial growth. It has made the Inc. 5000 list of the country’s fastest-growing private businesses for the last two years and was the top sports company in 2023. Investors in the company include poker legend Phil Hellmuth and former pro athletes Andruw Jones, Matt Ryan and Andrew Bogut.
It isn’t a Tennessee sports betting apps operator. However, PrizePicks is one of 13 licensed fantasy sports providers in the Volunteer State. When PrizePicks Arena launches in Tennessee, it will be the 32nd state where the operator offers fantasy contests.
