Locker, a privately funded daily fantasy sports (DFS) startup, is pushing the frontier of DFS play into new territory with a new free-to-play app. The company’s DFS model combines elements of prediction, with elements of the popular trivia game HQ trivia. It’s a bold move for market share that could attract the attention of gaming regulators if it succeeds.
Under the Locker DFS model, players are presented with a number of prediction opportunities for each new drive. These are mostly pretty typical proposition bets like “will this drive end in a touchdown?” or “which player will rack up the most yards in this drive?”. Players are competing for a fixed amount of prize money on each drive and multiple winners would split the pot in case of a tie. If this model sounds familiar, you’ve probably played on the HQ trivia app.
Locker will be testing its new model during the December 10 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. The company has signed on former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson to host the event on his Twitch channel. Jackson commented on the new game in a statement reported on by RotoGrinders.com saying, “Locker is about to shake up the online gaming space and I’m fired up to be part of it from the outset by bringing these fun and rewarding contests to Hall of Fame Gaming’s expansive and hyper-engaged audience.”
While Locker is still in public-beta mode, its bigger challenge could be facing gaming regulators and commissioners, who are increasingly cracking down on efforts by DFS operators to look more like standard sportsbooks. Until that time, Locker is available to players in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.