COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A Fanatics Sportsbook promotion offering $350 in bonus bets for the Texas A&M vs. LSU game has caused thousands of fans to abandon their vehicles and walk the final stretch to Kyle Field, forming a pedestrian traffic jam that now stretches across three counties.
The offer, which requires a $20 wager and the promo code FOXNEWS350, was intended for new users only. By Tuesday, however, entire neighborhoods in Houston and Dallas had organized walking caravans, with participants citing the bonus as the sole reason for the journey. «We left the truck on the shoulder near Huntsville,» said one traveler, who declined to give his name. «The code is worth more than the truck.»
Local authorities have converted the northbound lanes of Highway 6 into a designated footpath. The Texas Department of Transportation has begun painting yard lines on the asphalt to keep the procession orderly. Rest stops now feature betting kiosks, and a high school marching band has been reassigned to play the Aggie War Hymn at each mile marker.
Fanatics has responded by extending the promotion indefinitely, provided users place their wagers while still in motion. «We did not anticipate this level of commitment,» a company spokesperson said. «But we are prepared to accept it.»
By Thursday, the first walkers had reached the stadium gates, where they were issued numbered wristbands and told to wait for a game that does not begin for another week.