Draftkings

DraftKings enjoyed strong growth over the following six years, and by 2018 it was a major player in the burgeoning daily fantasy sports industry. It launched an online sportsbook in New Jersey after the federal sports wagering ban was overturned, and then set out on an expansion drive.

DraftKings Sportsbook was powered by Kambi, but DK then merged with a rival white-label provider – SBTech – and a special purpose acquisition company in 2020. That inspired it to migrate from the Kambi platform to SBTech’s sportsbook. That deal saw DraftKings list on the New York Stock Exchange, and it provided the company with a strong balance sheet, allowing it to embark upon an expansion drive and purchase Golden Nugget Gaming.

DraftKings Sportsbook has launched in various states across the country. The company continues to run daily fantasy sports contests in lots of states, and some other countries around the world, such as Canada and the UK, and there is a DraftKings online casino in certain states too.

States Available

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Operator Bonuses

The sign-up bonus at DraftKings changes on a weekly basis, but it is always very attractive. At the time of this review, you could bet $5 on the moneyline on any NFL or NBA game and get $150 in free bets – divided into six free bets worth $25 each – if your team won. At other times, it allows you to bet $1 on a heavy favorite at odds of 150/1 (+15000) after signing up for an account. It has also allowed new customers to bet $1 at odds of 100/1 (+10000) on a single punch being landed in a UFC bout.

DraftKings Promotions

DraftKings does not offer as many ongoing promotions as rivals like FanDuel and BetMGM, but you can enjoy free-to-play contests and odds boosts. If you are into contests, you can take part in its “Sportsbook Daily Pools” every day, climb the leaderboard and win cash prizes. It also launches short-term sportsbook promos, such as profit boosts, risk-free bets and parlay boosts. There is a refer-a-friend offer worth up to $100, and you can benefit from $100 in free casino credits in certain states, along with a deposit match bonus for the daily fantasy sports product.

If you visit the “Odds Boosts” section or the site or mobile app, you will be presented with a list of available boosts each day. They tend to be available on parlays and same game parlays. For example, you might find Jalen Hurts to record 300-plus combined passing and rushing yards boosted to +260 in a Philadelphia Eagles game, or Duncan Robinson and Caris LaVert to combine for five or more 3-pointers in an NBA game, boosted from +130 to +150.

There is a loyalty program too, whereby you can accrue points for placing sports bets and then exchange them for free bet credit at a later date. The redemption rate is not particularly high, but it is certainly worth accumulating the points. You should also find short-term sportsbook bonuses around major sporting events like the Super Bowl and March Madness.

Deposit Options at DraftKings

DraftKings offers a wide selection of deposit options. You can fund your account using a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover card. Alternatively, players can send an echeck through VIP Preferred, a wire transfer, or a direct online bank transfer. It also offers a Play+ card, which you can sign up for at DraftKings.com. If you want to pay in cash, you can head to a retail DK sportsbook or use PayNearMe at a 7-Eleven or CVS store. PayPal is another option.

Deposits at DraftKings start at $10. The maximum varies according to which method you select. All deposits are free, and the funds should always hit your account instantly. Contact customer service if you have any issues.

Withdrawals at DraftKings

The quickest withdrawal option at DraftKings is to visit a retail sportsbook or the cage at a partner casino. You can then get paid out up to $100,000 within an hour. If you would prefer an online option, you can choose from PayPal, Play+, a bank transfer, or an echeck. It can also send you a check in the mail.

DraftKings processes withdrawal requests Monday through Friday. It generally takes a couple of days for payout requests to be approved. Withdrawals via Play+ and PayPal therefore take 2-4 days, and online bank transfers and e-checks take 3-5 days. A check in the mail can take 7 days. A wire transfer is available in just 24 hours, but the minimum withdrawal is $10,000. Withdrawals are free at DraftKings. You can make withdrawals from just $1 via PayPal. The upper limit is $100,000, but high rollers can contact an account manager to discuss larger payouts.

DraftKings Sportsbook

A “Popular” tab at the top left of the DraftKings Sportsbook homepage highlights the main leagues that customers are currently betting on. It generally features the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and the top European soccer leagues. Sports like football, basketball, baseball, and hockey are covered in a very thorough fashion, as the SBTech platform is comprehensive.

You will find hundreds of betting markets on an NFL game, including lots of alternate spreads and totals, touchdown scorers, halves, quarters, passing props, rushing props, receiving props, and game props. There is a same game parlay builder too, which further broadens your options. NBA games are covered in a similar level of depth. It also has a wide variety of wagering options on college football and college basketball games, but there are no player props.

You will also notice an A-Z of sports on the main menu at DraftKings Sportsbook. It includes Aussie Rules, boxing, cricket, darts, golf, handball, MMA, motorsports, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, table tennis and tennis. Sports like volleyball and athletics also appear when there are big tournaments to bet on.

You will find lots of betting options on a huge array of sporting events at DraftKings each week. Some rivals cover a longer list of sports, but all the biggest sporting events are covered in extensive detail at DraftKings Sportsbook. The odds are reasonably competitive, and it often provides different lines to the rest of the market, so you can find great value on certain teams.

DraftKings offers standard juice betting lines on football games and basketball games. It previously charged an extra point on certain sides and totals, so it is good to see DraftKings return to standard juice.

Live Betting at DraftKings

Click on the “Live In-Game” button at the top of the DraftKings Sportsbook homepage to see a list of live sporting events that you can bet on. It covers football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, table tennis, and a few other sports. You should always find a wide array of betting options. DraftKings offers live streaming of baseball and soccer via a partnership with Sportradar. 

Sports Wagering Experience

DraftKings offers a very stylish and modern sports betting experience. The site has a dark background, with green and gray text. It is clean, easy to navigate and user-friendly. There is no search option on the SBTech platform, which might frustrate some users, but it is quick and easy to find games using the various menus. Pages load quickly, and the site is very reliable. There is also a large section called DK Nation, which offers news, picks, insight, and analysis on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football, UFC, NASCAR, golf, and soccer.

Mobile App Review

DraftKings has one of the best mobile sports betting apps in the world. Its average rating is 4.8 out of 5 on both the App Store and Google Play, which is vastly superior to the scores achieved by most of its competitors. It is a fast, reliable, user-friendly mobile app, which allows you to place bets rapidly. There are lots of helpful menus and shortcuts that ease the navigation process for mobile users. It works well in conjunction with Geolocator software too, so it is easy to see why this app has proved so popular.

Other Betting Options

DraftKings continues to run popular DFS contests across the United States, along with in Canada and the UK. You can play daily fantasy football, basketball, golf, baseball, hockey, UFC, NASCAR, soccer, tennis, Aussie Rules, and esports. It offers large DFS bonuses, and there are some very lucrative contests to take part in. The DraftKings loyalty program spans the sportsbook, the casino and the DFS site, so you can rack up points at all three and exchange them for free bet credit and other perks.

The DraftKings online casino is available in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia – the only states that currently permit online casino operators to launch. It features hundreds of slots from some of the world’s top software developers, along with 45 exclusive games that you will not find anywhere else. There are lots of virtual table games and video poker options, and it has a strong live dealer section.

Customer Service

DraftKings offers limited customer service capabilities. You cannot call or use live chat, so you need to fill out a form on the website and wait for someone in the customer support team to email you back. That is disappointing for an operator of its size. Lots of smaller online sports betting sites provide 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone and email, so DraftKings is not a great choice if you value quick, responsive support and the ability to chat to a human.

Security

DraftKings is a safe, secure online sportsbook. It is protected by an advanced firewall and it uses the latest SSL encryption to protect player details. You do not need to worry about security issues at DraftKings.

Conclusion

DraftKings has a pretty strong reputation within the sports betting community. It already had a loyal base of DFS customers, so the shift to legal sports betting was natural. The customer base has soared since it began launching its online sportsbook across the country, and its reputation has remained intact. It is known for paying customers out in full, without any issues, for grading wagers fairly and for honoring bonus terms.

It is a trustworthy online sportsbook that works with regulators in lots of different states to provide a safe wagering environment. However, it is worth pointing out that DraftKings has also developed a reputation for limiting winning players. Robins, the chief executive, explicitly said in 2021 that “people who are doing this for profit are not the players we want”. He later sought to clarify those comments, claiming he simply does not want pro bettors that seek to manipulate lines, but it dented the company’s reputation somewhat.

Beyond that, it offers attractive bonuses, reasonable odds, a polished user experience, a great mobile app, strong security and reliable payouts. It could improve payout speeds, increase bet limits on certain sports, put an end to the practice of limiting winning players, and offer 24/7 support, but overall it is a strong online sportsbook.

BetOnlineAmerica Rating: 8/10