In the run-up to the Super Bowl, Boardroom spoke with FanDuel TV’s Lisa Kerney about her growing role with the betting platform.
Super Bowl LVII was more than just the culmination of a wild season, capped by Patrick Mahomes cementing himself as an all-time great. Off the field, the game shattered sports betting records, and as more states legalize the practice, you can expect subsequent Super Bowls to rake in even more.
Ahead of the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, CNBC reports that bettors placed at least 100 million wagers over the weekend — a 25% jump from 2022. This was the first-ever Super Bowl to be played in a state where sports gambling is legal, and fans in Glendale got in on the fun as well, placing more than 100,000 transactions on Sunday alone.
For their part, Boardroom partner FanDuel handled more than 17 million Super Bowl bets. As sports betting becomes more mainstream, plenty of platforms are introducing programs for those curious about the pastime. At FanDuel TV, Lisa Kerney joins other experienced minds in gambling to provide expert analysis on an activity many are aware exists, but far fewer completely understand. Ahead of the Chiefs’ eventual win, the ESPN alum and Kansas City native spoke to Boardroom about her growing role with the network and provided advice on how to better understand betting.
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VINCIANE NGOMSI: Can you talk a little bit about your role with FanDuel TV and how that’s evolved over the years?
LISA KERNEY: I’m the host of More Ways to Win on FanDuel TV and we just completed our fifth season. We’re very excited to be able to say that because a lot of shows don’t make it five years and we are just getting started. We cover all of the major sports, leaning [heavily] into NFL. Our experts on the show are former NFL players like James Jones. He breaks down the matchups, the games and helps newbies really understand sports betting. Dave Weaver and Andrew Fillipponi are two heavy hitters on the show. Cole Wright, formerly of NFL Network, is our final expert on the show who breaks it all down for us as well. But I’m the the lucky host that gets to work with these very, very talented guys.
VN: Sports betting has become so popular and more states are rushing to legalize it. How do you foresee betting playing a more prominent role in not only the NFL, but also how we consume sports moving forward?
LK: Sports betting is truly changing consumer habits. There was a 2018 Supreme Court case that voted in favor of allowing states to legalize sports gambling, which really paved the way to make betting a part of our culture. So as we see more and more states make it legal, more people are able to enjoy the game within the game. You can take it as deep as you want to, from a simple parlay to stacking up different legs to increase your odds for an even bigger payout. Sports betting in general is still new but more conversations are happening and it’s becoming very normalized.
So when you talk about a matchup, the next question is: What’s the line on that game? Or something deeper like: Can you believe the total is still sitting at 50 and a half? All of these conversations that float around in regards to upcoming matchups are immediately followed up with some sort of wager. It’s just a ton of fun and people are finding that it really is just added entertainment value to your Sunday.
VN: For anyone that’s new to sports betting or doesn’t really understand the concept of it, what’s the easiest way we could summarize and encourage them to get involved?
LK: The best way to get involved in sports betting is to first understand the terminology. Because if you don’t know what the total spread is or prop bets are, then it feels very foreign. Once you learn what each of those terms mean and how easy it is to place your bets, then you’re all set. Especially when you have the app, I say it’s as easy as shopping on Amazon. You select what you want and it goes in your cart and off you go with your Sunday. And literally for the price of a Starbucks drink, you’ve added a massive jolt to your day. All of a sudden, you’re really invested on how many touchdowns Patrick Mahomes throws because you’ve got, $2, $10, whatever on the outcome. And also maybe bragging rights with your family and friends if your bets come through.
So the easiest way to get started is really just kind of educate yourself on the terminology and then go from there. Just have fun and always, always play responsibly. On the FanDuel Sportsbook app, we have responsible gaming tools for you to set your limits.
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