Draftkings

Accepts players from United Statesus

DraftKings is one of the most famous sports brands in the United States. It was created as a Daily Fantasy Sports provider in 2012, providing fierce competition for FanDuel.
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T&C applies.

About Bookmaker

Welcome to our Online Betting 101 guide to DraftKings Sportsbook. We will teach you everything you need to know about signing up with this sportsbook, make a deposit, claiming a promotion, placing a bet and cashing out. We will also rate its odds, bonuses, customer service, features and user experience.

Top Three Reasons to Bet with DraftKings Sportsbook

  • Large sign-up offers
  • Smart mobile app
  • Hundreds of prop bets

Background

DraftKings is one of the most famous sports brands in the United States. It was created as a Daily Fantasy Sports provider in 2012, providing fierce competition for FanDuel. The company prospered at a time when online sports betting was banned at a federal level, as DFS contests provided sports fans with a way to speculate on their favorite leagues.

In 2018, it seized upon the Supreme Court’s resolution to overturn the federal sports betting ban by launching DraftKings Sportsbook. It launched in New Jersey that year, and the sportsbook is now available in many states:

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

It also runs DraftKings Casino in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, along with an NFT marketplace. In 2021, it was the second largest sports betting brand in the country and the third largest overall online gambling brand. The company is based in Boston and listed on the Nasdaq.

How to Open an Account

  • Visit sportsbook.draftkings.com and click the green “Log in” button next to the text that reads: “Want to start placing bets?”
  • You will see an option that says: “Don’t have an account? Sign Up.”
  • Click the link and then choose a username, type out your email, choose a password and enter an optional promo code. Click “Next.”
  • Provide personal details to verify your identity. If it cannot automatically verify you, scan your driver’s license or upload scans of documents requested.
  • Add security questions for more protection.
  • Install software that proves your location. You can then make a deposit and start betting.

Deposits

The minimum deposit at DraftKings is $5. That is lower than any rival sites, showing that DraftKings is keen to welcome all casual players into its ranks. It launches many “Bet $5, Win $200” welcome bonuses to encourage sign-ups.

You can use a Discover, MasterCard or Visa credit card, debit card or gift card to make a deposit. DraftKings also issues its own gift cards, and it has a branded, prepaid card in partnership with Play+.

You can send money to your account using a VIP Preferred e-check or online banking, or a wire transfer using MVB Bank. It also accepts cash at one of its retail sportsbooks, but it does not work with PayNearMe. PayPal is the only e0wallet available.

Funds will show up in your account straight away. You will not be charged fees to deposit funds at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Withdrawals

You can request an online bank transfer, an e-check or a PayPal withdrawal at DraftKings Sportsbook. However, a prior deposit using one of those methods is required if you want to use it for a withdrawal.

Alternatively, you can use a Play+ account. A wire transfer is possible if you provide routing and account number, or you can be paid in cash at the cage or request a physical check to be mailed to you.

DraftKings Sportsbook pays out in up to 48 hours if you go for a wire transfer. Play+ takes 2-4 days, and PayPal and online banking take 3-5 days. Cash at the cage is ready in an hour, but only in New Jersey. Checks take 3-7 business days. There are no withdrawal fees.

Interface

DraftKings Sportsbook has a unique, easy-to-use interface. When it first launched, it ran on white-label technology from a Swedish company called Kambi. That made DraftKings identical to dozens of online sportsbooks in North America and Europe.

However, in 2020, DraftKings bought a company called SBTech as part of a SPAC deal, which resulted in the Nasdaq listing mentioned above. SBTech is a rival to Kambi, and it also provides many sportsbooks with white-label technology.

Rather than simply migrating to the standard SBTech platform, the company used SBTech’s expertise to build a unique platform. It is similar, but with key differences, which make it very beginner-friendly.

One downside is the absence of any search option, so you have to manually navigate to games. However, the system is easy to follow, so you should find them with ease. The sports are listed to the left of the homepage, first in a “Popular” section and then in A-Z format.

You can visit a “My Bets” section to see open wagers, a live betting section, a promotions page, a betting guide, a section featuring pools, the VIP section or the Dynasty loyalty program area via quick links at the top of the page. There is also a stats hub, which provides “Genius Facts” on certain sports events and value prop picks each day.

Mobile Betting

Bettors can download the DraftKings Sportsbook mobile app from an app store, such as Google Play or the Apple Store. You can see how highly-rated it is. The app has had more than half a million reviews, and its average score is 4.8.

You need to upgrade it every so often, and you also need to use GeoComply to prove that you are using the app in a state that has legal betting.

The app looks just like the desktop site – dark background, light gray text, flashes of green, very stylish and modern, lots of shortcuts and features – and it is very fast and responsive, so you will not have any problems placing bets while out of the home.

Sports Available

The most popular sports are displayed at the top of the main menu. It changes throughout the year, as certain sports are in season. The sports are then listed in an A-Z menu:

  • Aussie Rules
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Cycling
  • Darts
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Handball
  • Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • MMA
  • Motorsports
  • Rugby League
  • Rugby Union
  • Snooker
  • Soccer
  • Table Tennis
  • Tennis

Sometimes additional sports are added to that list, such as volleyball or winter polo when there are big tournaments on, or athletics or winter sports during the Olympics. Entertainment markets like the Academy Awards also appear at certain times of the year too.

It takes bets on tons of leagues around the world. For example, at any given time you might find betting on 18 basketball leagues and 18 soccer leagues. That is down to the strength of the SBTech platform and coverage.

Betting Options at DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook has more betting options than most of the other sports betting sites it competes with. You will see the main spread, total and moneyline displayed first, with the most popular prop bets underneath. There are then extra tabs for game lines, player props, quarters/periods, halves, and game props.

Within game lines, you will see a very long catalogue of alternative spreads and totals, plus spread/total parlay combos. There are dozens of player props and game props, and a same game parlay creator allows you to make your own combinations.

The live betting section is great at DraftKings, featuring loads of games per day, and you can bet futures on many sports too.

How to Place a Bet at DraftKings Sportsbook

  • Click on any bet and it will immediately appear on the simple bet slip at the right of the page.
  • Enter the amount you want to bet in the box provided, and it will tell you the payout. That includes your profit and the return of the amount you wagered. Click to confirm the bet.
  • If you add another bet to the slip, options for parlays, teasers and round robins will appear. You will see the combined odds, and once again you can type in the bet amount and click to place the bet.

Features at DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings has a stats hub, which provides insight and picks each day. There is also a DK Nation blog, which provides insightful content, and a betting guide.

There is a great same game parlay builder. You can cash out bets before the game ends, and the live betting section is great. It also gives customers daily odds boosts on props and parlays, so there are a lot of features designed to add value.

The odds in general are pretty competitive at DraftKings. It has standard vigorish lines, but the spreads are often better than those found at rival sites, and the moneylines are good.

Bonuses at DraftKings Sportsbook

The main feature that sets DraftKings Sportsbook apart is the bonuses it provides. At the time of this review, it was offering a “Bet $5, Win $200” sign-up bonus. You could register and bet $5 on a college basketball game during March Madness. If the bet won, you would get your normal payout, plus $200 in free bet credit – divided into 8 x $25 free bets.

The best thing about the free bets is that they only have a 1x rollover requirement. That means any winnings go straight into your cash balance. The free bet token amount is not included, but it means you stand a good chance of earning profits from the welcome bonus.

It launches bonuses like this throughout the year. Another example was the “Bet $5, Win $280” offer on the Super Bowl, where customers were given 7 x $40 free bets if they bet on the correct team to win the game.

We should point out that there is a recurring 20% deposit match sign-up bonus worth up to $1,000 at DraftKings. Do not claim this. It is a weak offer, with a 25x release requirement. Wait for it to publish one of its “Bet $5, Win $200” or “Bet $5, Win $280” deals, as one is always just around the corner.

DraftKings does not offer much in the way of additional bonuses. There are free-to-play pools where you can win prizes, it has a refer a friend bonus, and there is a loyalty program, but rival sites such as BetMGM and FanDuel offer more bonuses.

Customer Service

DraftKings does not offer great customer service. You cannot call anyone, and there is no live chat either. You have to fill in a form and someone will eventually get back to you. That is poor for a sportsbook of DraftKings’ size. It could be a dealbreaker for some players, but the sportsbook does run very smoothly, so you may not need much support.

Is Your Money Safe at DraftKings Sportsbook?

Your money is safe at DraftKings Sportsbook. This is a legal sports betting brand with licenses across the country. You are covered by your local consumer protection agencies, and it has to follow strict safety measures as part of the licensing agreements. You will not need to worry about security, so you can get on with trying to find winning plays.

DraftKings Casino

The DraftKings Casino has around 650 games, including various DraftKings originals and exclusives. It features the most famous games from big producers like IGT and NetEnt, and some games from smaller companies. There are more than 70 table games too

One downside is that it is only available in five states. Furthermore, you can only bet on live casino games in three states – New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan – as its supplier does not have studios elsewhere. Apart from that, it is a great online casino, and it offers a huge sign-up bonus.

Conclusion

DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the best in the world. It has all the betting options you could ask for, it cover loads of sports, and the odds are good. You can enjoy huge bonuses, there is a loyalty program, payments are secure, the app is tremendous and the website is just as good. It still needs to improve the customer service and add a couple more features, but it is a very good all-rounder.

Bookmaker Features

  • Large sign-up offers
  • Smart mobile app
  • Hundreds of prop bets

Bookmaker Details