What Makes DraftKings Sportsbook Stand Out?
Close Ties With Daily Fantasy Sports
There is a great deal of overlap between the daily fantasy sports industry and sports betting. However, not all sportsbooks are as tightly integrated as those communities.
DraftKings, with its roots as a daily fantasy sports platform, has a lot of integration between its mobile sports betting, DFS, and online casino products.
This also means that DraftKings has access to numerous markets where DFS is currently legal, but sports betting is not. If you live in one of these markets, DraftKings is well-situated should the regulatory landscape shift.
High-Quality Software
While you might expect an industry as profitable as sports betting would invest in quality design and programming for its software this is not always the case.
The DraftKings mobile app stands out in the industry for the useability and quality of its front end. Apple iOS sports bettors can download the app at the App Store, while Android users can download the app at the Google Play Store.
With over 200,000 reviews on the App Store, DraftKings has a 4.8 out of 5-star rating among Apple iOS users. At the Google Play Store, Android users rate DraftKings at 4.5 out of 5 over 20,000-plus reviews.
The DraftKings app offers cutting-edge live betting formats, as well as traditional betting types. Live betting (aka in-play betting) allows bettors to wager on games already in progress.
Live betting odds can change within seconds, which the DraftKings platform executes well.
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Economies Of Scale
Being with a company that handles almost a third of the U.S. sports wagering market has several advantages for customers.
The main one is reliability. The odds of sudden and unexpected liquidity issues are minimal with a large, publicly traded company.
The scale of operations also means the company has in place thorough, dedicated departments for compliance and payment processing. As a result, the risks of unethical practices are lower and the smoothness, cheapness, and speed of payouts are all top-notch.
DraftKings Sportsbook Review
To sign up with DraftKings you’ll need to begin by selecting a username for yourself. Then you will need to provide an email, and choose a password.
After that, you will have the opportunity to enter any promo codes you have to take advantage of things like deposit and sign-up bonuses.
With the basics covered, the sportsbook will then request more concrete identification details: full name, current physical address, phone number, Social Security Number, and date of birth. DraftKings will then attempt to use this information to verify you using publicly available information such as voter records.
If you cannot be verified with that information, you might be asked to upload a valid state-issued ID and/or proof of your address before you can use your account.
Keep in mind that you are only allowed to have one mobile sports betting account with DraftKings. If duplicate accounts are discovered they might be deleted without warning and any winnings could be confiscated.
Sign up using the “Play Now” links in this DraftKings review to unlock a deposit bonus for new players. After signing up, look for recurring loss rebates, odds boosts, and other DraftKings Sportsbook offers for loyal customers.
Is DraftKings Sportsbook Legit?
DraftKings Is A Regulated Company
Because the federal government devolved most of the work of regulating the gambling industry to the states, each U.S. state has a different set of gambling laws and regulations related to online betting sites. Where gambling is legal and regulated, these rules are enforced by state regulatory agencies. For example, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board oversees all gambling operations, retail and online, in the state of Pennsylvania. The DraftKings legal sportsbook app is available in Pennsylvania and therefore answers to the PGCB.
Whereas in Arizona, the platform is regulated by the Arizona Department of Gaming.
Sports bettors who have issues with the DraftKings Sportsbook website can contact the regulators to make complaints and to report any shady dealings.
Why Should I Trust DraftKings’ Online Sportsbook With My Bets?
The main reasons to trust DraftKings are that DraftKings answers to a regulator and is part of a competitive industry where erosion of trust can be immensely costly.
Companies like DraftKings have to satisfy the regulatory bodies of every state they operate in. As a result, their operations are overseen by government agencies and can lose their licenses or face fines if they are shown to have misbehaved.
The company needs regulators to renew its licenses. As a result, companies in regulated markets try to avoid run-ins with the law that might be caused by serious or frequent customer complaints.
The second factor is DraftKings reputational risk. Because the U.S. sports gambling industry is so large and customer options are so varied, companies like DraftKings are motivated to maintain a good reputation with their customers. Worries about cashouts, unfair lines, or excessive vig can scare customers to one of the other sites that offer the same services.
What Cashout Methods Are Available?
When you open a DraftKings account, you’ll get access to multiple withdrawal methods. While the specific cashout methods available may vary from state to state, customers can expect to be able to deposit and cashout via:
- DraftKings Play+
- Credit and debit cards,
- Bank transfers
- PayPal
- Check
- eWallets
DraftKings – Did You Know?
Company Facts
The DraftKings website offers online sports betting, as well as access to DraftKings Casino and DFS platforms. DraftKings’ online casino games are only available in applicable states.
DraftKings operates its DFS business online in every state except for Washington, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, Oregon, and Nevada.
DFS’s initial success as an industry was predicated on the fact that it occupied a similar space to sports wagering but was more widespread in its legality. As a result, as sports betting’s own legitimacy increased, DraftKings formed its own sportsbook to enter that market.
In 2018, DraftKings launched its online sportsbook in New Jersey, becoming the first mobile sports operator in New Jersey. Since then, the Draftkings sports betting app has grown to take up 27% of the U.S. market.
As a publicly traded company, DraftKings is owned by shareholders who purchased the stock on the NASDAQ.
Management Profiles
Jason Robins, one of the company’s founders, serves as the CEO of DraftKings. Under his supervision, DraftKings launched its online sports betting product.
With his co-founders Paul Liberman (President, Global Technology and Product) and Matt Kalish (President, DraftKings North America), Robins pushed the focus on making the app simple for users to engage with. This resulted in enormous growth for the company as they honed in on what made users tick.
The three friends met while working at Vistaprint. As fans of seasonal fantasy sports, they saw the opening in the market for a high-quality product that was faster-paced, occurring over the course of a week or day rather than a full season.
Their first product was a one-on-one baseball competition that launched in 2012. From there they expanded until, in 2013, they received an undisclosed amount from Major League Baseball to grow their product. A year later, they announced a $41 million injection of cash from new investors.
The company went public under Robins’s leadership in April 2020, via a reverse merger.
Some other key individuals include:
- David Lebow, Chief of Staff
- Paul Liberman, President Global Technology
- R Stanton Dodge, Chief Legal Officer
- Jason Park, Chief Financial Officer
- Graham Walters, Chief People Officer
In Which States Can I Bet Online With DraftKings?
The DraftKings website is available or coming soon to the following states:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
To avoid confusion, do note that DraftKings also offers a DFS product in a different set of states (many of which overlap). In all states in which it operates, DraftKings offers major sports like the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college football, college basketball, and many others.
Some states outlaw betting on in-state college football and basketball, so be sure to check the laws on college betting in your state.
DraftKings Sportsbook FAQ
How old do you have to be to bet online at DraftKings Sportsbook?
21 years old. The only exception to this is in New Hampshire where players aged 18 and up are allowed to bet. The same age restrictions apply to DraftKings Casino, though may be more relaxed in your state for the DFS product.
Does DraftKings Sportsbook offer fantasy games?
Yes. In fact, DraftKings was founded as a daily and weekly fantasy sports site. However, you may need to check the status of the DFS product in your state as regulations vary across the U.S.
Is there a mobile DraftKings Sportsbook app?
Yes. The app is available in all the states where DraftKings is available online.
Can I make multiple accounts at DraftKings Sportsbook?
No. Multi-accounting is against the terms of service and may result in users’ accounts being blocked and funds confiscated.
Does DraftKings Sportsbook have a rewards program?
Yes. The a rewards program, branded the “Dynasty Rewards Program.” In the Dynasty Rewards Program, players earn crowns which can be redeemed for free bets, merchandise, and even free or discounted travel. There are four tiers from Bronze to Onyx, with each level unlocking additional rewards and the ability to earn crowns faster.
Can I make prop bets on the DraftKings sports betting app?
Yes. Plenty of opportunities for prop bets await when you join DraftKings Sportsbook.