Only a few months after the Supreme Court's ruling that gave the go-ahead to legalize sports and online betting, multiple wagering options are being opened up to bettors in locations around the United States
New Jersey
In New Jersey, DraftKings has launched a sportsbook app that will serve the betting public in that state. Under the slogan “Life’s more fun with skin in the game,” DraftKings rolled out a mobile platform that will be accessible to individuals located within the state line.
The DraftKings Sportsbook is already competitive with the industry's leading mobile apps. Patrons will find nearly every type of wager and every available sport. There's a full suite of in-game betting options and prop bet options as well as a live-ticket system which is a first to be offered by a US operator. This system ensures that every bet has the potential to become an in-play bet.
Review
Not all users were impressed with the launch. Many baseball fans felt that the baseball lines were too wide to be competitive. Twitter lit up with disgruntled baseball aficionados who complained. DraftKings listened and prices adjusted for baseball. The NFL lines seemed to open on par with other markets.
The new sportsbook launched under the casino license of the Resorts Atlantic City and was built on a partnership with Kambi. DraftKings is waiting for New York to approve sports betting which is anticipated to happen in the coming legislative session. Once that occurs DraftKings will start to offer sports betting in NY via its deal with the del Lago New York casino.
The new DraftKings sportsbook is accessible on mobile on both iOS and Android. The desktop client has begun to function as well. The first announcement for an online DraftKings sports betting platform was made on the day that the US Supreme Court made its ruling that ended the federal ban on single-game sports wagering.
No one was surprised by DraftKings' quick takeover of the market. Draftkings hired a Head of Sportsbook well in advance of the ruling. DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish told Legal Sports Report "We started building our sportsbook product at the end of last year. That was sort of a big bet that the company was making, because we knew the Supreme Court was looking at the case that New Jersey had brought against PASPA.
"We wanted to be ready in the event that legal, regulated sportsbooks in the US became an option in terms of a product that we could offer. We wanted to be ready to go as close to day one as possible with the launch of that product."
The DraftKings sportsbook wasn’t quite ready from that first day but everyone knew that its launch was coming. The official launch in August 2018 is an impressive feat in such a contested marketplace, beating casino giants like Caesars and MGM to the punch by months. Kalish said that “It’s a huge day being able to launch to every single person based in New Jersey and take bets."
DraftKings
DraftKings is daily fantasy sports contest provider operating out of Boston MA. The company brings users into daily and weekly fantasy-sports-related contests where they can win money based on team and individual player performances when they play in fantasy sports leagues. The sports leagues that are featured include the NFL, MLB, NBA, NJL and PGA) plus UEFA Champions League soccer, NASCAR auto racing, Premier Leeague Tennis, The Canadian Football League, Arena Football league and Mixed Martial Arts.
Legally Draftkings skates on thin ice. The majority of U.S. states consider fantasy sports to be games of skill as opposed to gambling. (some states have created specific laws that make daily fantasy spots illegal while others have prohibited it all together.
DraftKings meged with the other large fantasy sports company, FanDuel, in 2016. The FTC nixed the deal because it put 90% of the industry under the control of the DraftKings/FanDuel partnership.
Today DraftKings has 8 million users
New Casino and Online Sports Betting Site
RioCasino, a new Vegas casino sports betting and gaming portal, is now live. The new portal provides gamers with a wide range of quality online wagering opportunities.
There's an extensive suite of in-play pre-match betting and sports betting markets at RioCasino including both live options and traditional casino games. The site was designed primarily as an online venue for sports bettors and therefore focuses on offering the widest possible range of sports wagering opportunities.
Sports Betting at RioCasino
RioCasino provides a glimpse into the new world of American gambling. Until recently sports betting was available only in Nevada which was given an exemption from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 which made sports betting illegal in the United States.
The State of New Jersey challenged PASPA in the United States Supreme Court and in May 2018 SCOTUS struck down PASPA. The ruling opened the door to not only allowing sports betting in states that legalize the activity, but also to legalizing online gaming in states that legislate such an option.
In less than 3 months multiple states have either fully legalized sports gambling and have set up regulations to allow it to start, or are in the process of doing that. RioCasino is the first new site to cater to the new opening with live sporting event access 24/7 and wagering opportunities on worldwide sporting matches.
It's expected that football will be the main draw with basketball, American football, tennis and baseball trailing a bit behind. At RioCasino players will have the option of placing pre-match bets as well as in-play wagers.
