Some competitors dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup, or holding that Wimbledon plate aloft, or wearing the green jacket. But the trophy with the broadest appeal, the one that resonates no matter what sport you play — or even if you don’t have an athletic bone in your body — is the oversized check.
What could be better than a symbol of victory that can be deposited into your bank account? It’s a universal truth that the major daily fantasy sports companies have been capitalizing on for eight years now, ever since FanDuel’s first-ever Fantasy Football Championship in Las Vegas awarded a $25,000 top prize in 2010. Rival DFS outfit DraftKings took it to peak levels in 2015, awarding an industry-record $5 million to Aaron Jones in its Fantasy Football World Championship.