DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings made their mark on the US gambling market, with fantasy sports. Now, after online betting was legalized in the US in 2018, they have launched a sportsbook. We have listed what we believe are the advantages and disadvantages to betting with DraftKings. You will find a more in-depth review below.

• Excellent mobile app: DraftKings are ahead of the times, launching their sportsbook mobile-first. The trend in recent years has been towards mobile betting, so if you are an early adopter then download the Draftking's app.
• You can trust DraftKings: They are an established daily sports provider that has been around since 2012 and are based in the USA.
• Great odds: Their odds are usually around, or just above the market average.
• Great in-play betting: Live betting has grown in popularity over the years. DraftKings’ mobile app offers an excellent in-play experience that we highly recommend.

• We find that the DraftKings welcome bonus, contain some terms and conditions that make the welcome bonus slightly misleading, especially for beginners.

DraftKings, America’s largest daily fantasy sports provider has more than delivered with its sportsbook. They have shown they mean business by launching their sportsbook right after the sports betting was legalised in the US.

If you are based in the USA and want to get into sports betting, then we can highly recommend DraftKings.

Draftkings, made history in August 2018 when it became the first online sportsbook in the USA, outside of Nevada. The success of its online sportsbook since then has been unprecedented. By the first week of September 2018, the sportsbook, which was still only operating in New Jersey had already racked up one million bets.

Why was DraftKings the first sportsbook in the US and why was it so successful? After the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 which scrapped the USA’s ban on online betting, a wave of excitement swept through the betting industry. But since then each state has begun the often protracted process of deciding whether betting should be legal at a federal level.

The European and Asian betting companies operating in a saturated market abroad and eager to launch themselves in the USA decided to wait until each state had decided what to do. This is where Draft Kings had an advantage; as an established daily fantasy contest provider in the USA, it was ready to launch it’s sportsbook right away as New Jersey became the first state to legalize betting.

DraftKings now have, in our opinion one of the best sportsbook offerings in the USA.

There interface is user-friendly and with their wealth of experience, they are one of the most trustworthy homegrown sportsbooks you can find.

Like every sportsbook offering NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB bets to US customers, there will be advantages and disadvantages with what they offer. It also depends on what type of sports bettor you are and where in the USA you are based. Below you will find an in-depth look at all that is good and bad about this sportsbook.

At the time of writing Draftkings’ sportsbook is only available to users in New Jersey. But it won’t be long before it is being rolled out to other states. As it stands, we think they have a great site, and if you are based outside New Jersey, you can look forward to the day DraftKings launch in your state.

We love their mobile betting app. We have used around a hundred apps in the office from all over the world and when it comes to betting on American sports, we can’t think of a better mobile app than this one.

Draftkings’ mobile app, is available for Android and iOS devices, is slick and user-friendly and not buggy in any way.

Anyone who uses the Draftkings’ fantasy app, will slip right into using this one.

The app lists a number of specific sports shortcuts, including football, basketball, hockey and baseball. You’ll be able to find any major bet within a minute of opening your app using this toolbar.

At the bottom of the screen, you can find shortcuts to in-game betting, your current bets as well as an a-z of all their sports and bets. You really don’t need to be a genius to work out how to use this app.

Draftkings offers a wide range of sports to bet on, which considering they are such a new sportsbook is mighty impressive. Using the Draftkings sportsbook app you can bet on all the major sports.

You find the full list of sports they offer displayed on the apps main page. If you click on the sports you will be shown all the available fixtures which you can bet on along with a number of lines for the major events

Their range of bets is good, not quite as large as some of their European counterparts but still all you will really need. They have in-play betting which is a key feature, and a type of betting that we expect to grow in the US, as more and more sportsbooks appear in the country.

This type of betting is not that well known in the USA, where legal restrictions have kept the popularity of these types of bets at bay. But now, with the legal situation relaxed, we expect in-play betting to hit the USA by storm.

In-play betting is simply placing a bet ‘live’ after the event has started. In-play betting or ‘live betting’ became popular in Europe and Asia with soccer betting. As the internet speeds got quicker and more reliable, so did this type of betting.

The good news is that Draftkings is ahead of the game in the USA, offering in-play odds for a large number of football, basketball, baseball, hockey and many more sports fixtures. We have given the in-play betting feature a go and it works really well, although we would like to see even more odds available in the future.

The key to in-play betting is the ease and speed with which you can place a bet.

Betting live is impossible if you can’t rely on placing your bet on time. Draftkings are not new to internet betting with their established fantasy sports site, so it comes as no surprise that their in-play speed and reliability are on point.

In-play betting can be good if you feel that you have a sense of where the game is going or will go, once it has already begun. It is also a great function if you are actually at the game where you might have a slight advantage over Draftkings who will be relying on a live stream or feed.

To use the in-play function all you need to do is click on the tab at the bottom of your screen which says in-play and you’ll be directed to a page with all the current in-play bets offered by DraftKings.

This feature also falls in the ‘live’ category of betting. A cash-out in betting means that you can close your bet before the event has finished. This can be used to either secure your winnings or help you to cut your losses.

Say you have backed the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals, but after half an hour they are trailing heavily and look all over the place. This might be a good example of when a cash-out is a good option. Draftkings will have lowered the odds from when you placed the bet, so you will be looking at much less in return. However, considering it is extremely unlikely that the team you backed will turn it around, it might be worth saving any money you can.

When you compare Draftkings’ cash out function to the more established sportsbooks in Europe they fair pretty well. It has never failed us, and although they don’t offer a cash-out on every bet, they do offer a fair selection and at reasonable odds.

To use the cash out function you will need to have first placed a bet. You can either cash out before the event begins or during the event using the cash out button displayed on your current bets slip. Once the event is over you cannot cash out.

DraftKings Sportsbook focuses more on its quality betting rather than a crazy welcome bonus, but that's not to say it's bad by any means. In fact new players can get a lot of value from the deposit bonus, but it's important to read the T's & C's to fully understand the turnover requirements, and when you need to wager.

There are also plenty of other promotions on DK Sportsbook, with odds boosts, bet insurance, and more constantly changing.

The ultimate goal of betting on sports is to beat the sportsbook and win. So, it is essential that if you do beat the odds you're able to cash in your winnings. A smooth reliable withdrawal process is one of the main things we look at when ranking our sportsbooks.

Withdrawals by USA customers can be complicated due to the changing legal landscape around the country. To be able to withdraw your money, you need to be in a state where gambling is legal.

This might also apply to banks and in some cases, you might not be able to transfer to your DraftKings sportsbook account, but you can transfer to a DraftKings fantasy sports account. This is simply because nationwide banks will find it difficult to accept and track payments for sportsbooks that are only legal in one state.

Fear not, there is an easy way around it and that is to use other trusted payment methods. DraftKings currently offer withdrawals via check, PayPal, ACH and cage pick up. You will be asked for additional identity verification; this can be uploading pictures of your ID, your social security number and address.

The withdrawals usually take between 2-7 working days to process. Withdrawals from DraftKings are generally smooth and seamless and we have never experienced any problems.

To withdraw your money from DraftKings you click on the ‘my account’ tab at the top right of your screen. You then click on the withdraw tab where you will enter the amount you want to withdraw along with your preferred method.

In this department DraftKings really delivers. Their selection of promos are wide and range from long-term to event specific. Whoever you are, they will have something that will be sure to attract you.

DraftKings have obviously decided that engaging promos are the best way to keep their customers happy. You will find especially good promos around the bigger events like the Super Bowl and the playoffs, as well as daily odds boosts.

DraftKings do advertise their promos sometimes but the best way to keep updated is to check out their Promos section on their app.