It’s been just over five months since Jeffrey Brogan switched coasts to assume his new role with FanDuel in the heart of downtown Phoenix.
The longtime retail sports betting figure took on his new role as general manager at the FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona Footprint Center retail facility with an eye on expanding the operator’s reach.
Brogan, who came to the Valley from FanDuel’s retail sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino (just outside Philadelphia), believes the best days for the New York-based company’s Arizona sportsbook operation are ahead.
Much of that belief for Brogan stems from the location of FanDuel’s retail facility, which sits inside the home of the Phoenix Sun.
“Having a retail facility for us holds a tremendous amount of value,” Brogan told BetArizona.com. “Just being able to meet our customers face-to-face and have that face to face interaction, kind of parlays into acquiring more customers and the level of trust that [customers] have with us becomes stronger.”
Building Trust In Downtown Phoenix
On Sunday afternoon, that bond was on full display inside the dark blue-hued retail sportsbook, with dozens of Suns fans posted up waiting for the opening tipoff of Game 1 between Phoenix and the L.A. Clippers.
Whether fans inside the facility were rooting for the hometown Suns or the visiting Clippers, both sides seemed in agreement the Footprint Center sportsbook was the place to be to wait out the hours before the game and take part in Arizona NBA betting.
That kind of receptive audience gives Brogan hope FanDuel Sportsbook can extend the operator’s impressive market share in the state, using marquee events like the NBA Playoffs as a front door for the company.
“We like to set ourselves apart from the competition by creating a superior customer experience,” Brogan said. “And what I mean when I say that is, we put a major emphasis on having our staff on the floor, engaging with customers, making sure that they're educated and all the markets, helping them with a betting kiosk.
“And all of those things that happen at the retail level only strengthens our — no pun intended — footprint in the state of Arizona and the city of Phoenix in particular.”
What Brogan Aims To Accomplish In Phoenix
Brogan sees his tenure in Phoenix as a golden opportunity to grow brand loyalty using an “omni-channel” approach to sports betting that utilizes the best of retail and online wagering to meet Arizonans where they want.
An example Brogan used to illustrate that form of betting is if a FanDuel Sportsbook Arizona retail customer makes a bet in-person but wants to cash out their rewards off-site, they now have that opportunity, thanks to the operator’s mobile validation system.
Under that system, FanDuel Arizona betting apps users can scan the QR code on their retail ticket and instantly reap the rewards, saving them the time and hassle of coming back to Footprint Center to get the money they’re owed.
Brogan also highlighted the fact the in-arena sportsbook allows FanDuel customers to get answers to some of their in-app issues — such as being locked out of an account — without having to wait around for an online or phone correspondent to answer those questions.
The end result of those efforts is a hybrid sportsbook space, where customers can reap the benefits of in-person wagering (like the comforts of a sports bar plus the ability to place and cash out money wagers on the spot), while also fulfilling the promise of the mobile space.
It’s a perk Brogan believes will help FanDuel Sportsbook continue to stay ahead of its peers.
“In the old sportsbook days of Vegas and other places, when you went into a sportsbook, you’re either placing a bet or cashing out a ticket. That’s all you did, right?” Brogan said. “Now, in the online world, I think it’s extremely important and very necessary for our team to be not just experts on our retail space here, but to be experts on the online product as well, bringing the two together under one roof.”
As the NBA Playoffs continue, BetArizona.com is the best place for Arizona sportsbook promotions.
