The Flutter Entertainment-owned brand, FanDuel, came ahead of DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook when distinguishing its dominance across AI search tools.
The inaugural 5W US Sports Betting & Gaming AI Visibility Index 2026 ranks operators by 'AI citation share' - this is the recorded frequency of brand reference across various Generative AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
More than 50 consumer-intent queries relating to sportsbook selection, odds, promotions, app recommendations and responsible gaming provided the basis for the index.
Who is in the lead?
FanDuel holds the top spot on the list, followed by DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, PrizePicks, ESPN BET, Hard Rock Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook and bet365.
The dominance of the top five operators is evident from the capture of more than 92% of AI references in the study's tested queries, as detailed in the report.
It is interesting to note how the index rankings diverge from traditional market share metrics.
Data from the top runners
FanDuel, which commands roughly 44% of US sports betting gross gaming revenue (GGR), extends its lead over DraftKings (around 34% GGR) significantly in AI visibility, driven by stronger responsible gaming resources and state-specific regulatory content.
BetMGM is fourth in the index despite holding a larger commercial market share than Caesars Sportsbook (in third place), highlighting the index's emphasis on content quality over ad spending or handle.
ESPN BET, backed by a major advertising push including an estimated $1.5B launch campaign since its 2023 debut, was listed in seventh place.
Bettors are turning to AI search engines
The PR agency detailed how it analyzed factors such as state-by-state regulatory disclosures, responsible gaming depth, editorial content on betting education and transparent promotions.
Operators with detailed, compliant content on these topics significantly outperformed those relying primarily on promotional material or generic legal pages.
"Sports betting is the highest-stakes category we have studied for AI citation behavior - literally," said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W.
"First-time bettors do not Google. They ask ChatGPT. They ask Claude. The operators that have invested in compliant editorial authority and responsible gaming content are winning citation share at rates that diverge dramatically from their paid-acquisition market share," he added.
"The category is also the most regulatorily complex, which means AI engines are weighting trust signals very heavily. Operators who treat GEO as just another marketing channel are getting disintermediated by the platforms before the bettor ever opens an app," stated Torossian.
State-level analysis showed FanDuel leading the AI citation share in 18 of the 39 legalized US States - plus Washington DC - DraftKings in 11 and Caesars in six.
BetRivers, PrizePicks and Hard Rock Bet led the other three States.
This pattern across the 39+ States strongly corresponds with the depth of localized compliance and responsible gaming content listed on the respective platforms.
