DraftKings Sportsbook Review

DraftKings has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. The site was started in 2012 and quickly rose to prominence thanks to a sound business model under the guidance of three former Vistaprint executives. To put its success in perspective, DraftKings.com went from being an unknown startup to guaranteeing more than $1 billion in payouts within its first three years.

In 2018, DraftKings online sports betting debuted with the launch of the official DraftKings Sportsbook app. DraftKings Sportsbook now operates in nearly every state with legal online sports betting.

Needless to say, the quick rise of this fantasy site turned online sportsbook has been nothing short of phenomenal. Growth is always a positive indicator, but it is by no means a guarantee of quality. So today, I’m here with my personal DraftKings review to help you determine if this is the right site for your fantasy and sports betting needs. We’ll begin with a DraftKings Sportsbook review and then discuss the fantasy offerings below that.

DraftKings Sportsbook Review

DraftKings Sportsbook is a mobile-friendly betting site with official apps available for iOS and Android users. You can sign up for a DraftKings sports betting account through the app, but if you have a desktop computer handy, you may find it easier to register at the DraftKings website before getting the app.

Once you have the DraftKings app and are logged in, you’ll be able to choose from a wide range of pre-game and in-play betting options. A navigation menu located along the bottom of the app can be used to see popular bets on the home tab, in-play betting, a link to your active wagers and a full list of sports that are offered.

On that note, the variety of sports on offer at DraftKings includes professional and college leagues for the following sports:

Australian Rules	Baseball	Basketball	Boxing
Cricket	Cycling	Darts	Football
Golf	Hockey	MMA	Motorsports
Oscars	Rugby Union	Soccer	Tennis

Bets placed through the app are added to a betting slip which you can view by tapping “my bets.” It is through the betting slip that you can adjust wager sizes, build parlays, manage round robins and confirm your wagers before submitting them. If everything looks good, hit “place bet” and any winnings will be paid to your account immediately following the game.

In-game betting plays a major role at DraftKings and accounts for a significant portion of the company’s total betting handle. Fans who enjoy placing bets during games will likely find DraftKings Sportsbook a nice fit for their style.

The in-play markets at DraftKings run every day and also extend across most major sports. Football, baseball, basketball, tennis and soccer are offered in the in-play format during each sport’s season. During any given in-play event, it is not uncommon to find as many as 50 different markets covering all aspects of the game ranging from who will win (with odds updated in real time) to what the next scoring play will be.

A live stats interface also provides bettors with additional tools to manage their wagers. From within the in-play area, you can view recent betting trends, how these two teams have fared against one another in the past and more.

Final verdict: Since launching in 2018, DraftKings Sportsbook has emerged as the market leader among legal betting sites. This is no accident. DraftKings Sportsbook is a well-designed betting app that is licensed, legal and comprehensive in its coverage of US and international sports.

DraftKings Sports Betting Screenshots

DraftKings Sports Betting Bonus

DraftKings Sportsbook welcomes new customers with a simple but worthwhile bonus: bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets.

The DraftKings bonus pays all new users the $200 in bonus bets immediately after they place their first wager, regardless of whether it wins or loses. Additionally, the bonus has customer-friendly terms, with the only caveat being customers must wager through the full bonus one time before withdrawing their winnings.

DraftKings also offers an alternative welcome bonus that bettors can choose in place of the headline offer: a 20% deposit match worth up to $1,000 in bonus funds. For example, a $100 first deposit will get new users an extra $20.

The biggest caveat of the DraftKings deposit bonus is that it comes with a 25x wagering requirement. The deposit match bonus is released at a rate of $1 for every $25 wagered in the sportsbook, casino, or on fantasy contests.

For example, if you receive a $200 bonus, you will need to place a total of $5,000 in sports wagers to release the full amount.

New customers can claim this bonus by logging in to their accounts, visiting the promos tab, opting in, and depositing $5.00 or more.

_{If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL)Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789.21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. Deposit bonus requires 25x play-thru. Deposit Bonus issued as site credits. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See DraftKings.com/sportsbook for details.}

DraftKings Fantasy Review

If you already have experience with other fantasy sites, the contest lobby at DraftKings will take some getting used to as it throws a lot of information at customers. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find the multitude of options handy for finding exactly the type of contest you want.

The main contest lobby includes a host of filters that can be used to show specific sports and contest types. For example, you can select “NFL” to see only NFL games and then further narrow that down to show only heads-up fantasy NFL contests. An advanced filters option can be used to get even more specific so you can sort contest by start time, number of entrants and entry fee.

Selecting a contest brings you to the drafting area where you pick players for your lineup. This area offers more information than what you get at DraftKings with information such as the opposition each player will be facing, a list of all games that the contest will cover and even a basic weather forecast for each game.

You can select any player to get a basic overview of that player’s recent games, stats and other news. Depending on the sport, stats are shown for the entire season, last 10 games, last game and a side-by-side comparison of stats between the selected player and his upcoming competition. For example, you can select a pitcher and then see how his stats compare to the opposing team’s batting average, run stats, hits, on base percentage and more.

Two other useful features are late swaps (you can switch your players out if they withdraw from an upcoming game even if the first game in the contest has already started) and global swaps (where you can swap out one player for another across all your active lineups).

The DraftKings mobile app also deserves a mention. It is available on the App Store for iPhone/iPad users and as a download at the DraftKings website for Android users. After several rounds of improvements, the mobile app here is easily my favorite thanks to its slick interface and unique features. Not only can you join, draft and watch your contests play out in real time, but you can even challenge other people nearby with a heads-up matchmaker that detects who near you is also running the DraftKings app.

Sports Offered

• Baseball (MLB)
• Golf (PGA)
• NASCAR
• Soccer (MLS)
• Mixed Martial Arts (UFC)
• Football (NFL, CFB, UFL)
• Basketball (NBA and EuroLeague)
• Hockey (NHL)
• Basketball (NBA and CBB)
• Tennis (ATP and WTA)
• Esports
• F1
• NASCAR

Screenshots

Contest Types

All contests at DraftKings are of the daily fantasy variety, with most lasting for just a single day of games. The big exception here is the NFL in which most contests cover several days’ worth of games. Buyins across all contest types range from $0.25 at the low end to $26,200 at the high end if you want to play in a $20,000 winner-take-all contest against a single opponent.

Guaranteed prize pool events likewise vary in size. The famous Millionaire Maker contests for each sport offer payouts of at least $1,000,000 to the first place finisher along with prizes for those who perform well. The payouts at DraftKings are a bit “flatter” than those at other major DFS sites. What this means is the payouts at DK aren’t as top-heavy. More people are paid, with less money going to the top few finishers. Some people see this as an advantage, others prefer more money going to the top few players.

Going beyond just the prize pools and buyin fees, contests at DraftKings come in the following formats:

• Guaranteed: Large contests with a prize pool that is guaranteed no matter how many entrants actually join.
• Qualifier: Compete in qualifiers to win free entry to more expensive tournaments. Useful if you’re on a tight budget but want to play for the big money in some larger contest.
• Head-to-Head: A winner-take-all contest against a single opponent.
• 50/50: Half the field gets paid, half the field goes home empty handed. All you have to do is place in the top 50% to double your money.
• League: A tournament style contest that consists of anywhere from 3 to 285 entrants. Unless specifically stated as guaranteed, league contests are cancelled if they don’t fill.
• Multiplier: Win anywhere from 3 to 10 times your buyin depending on the number of entrants and places paid. For example, a 3x multiplier pays three times your entry fee if you end up in the top third of the field.
• Step: Step tournaments are a series of 4 contests in which the first three steps award tickets to the next level up. Step 1 costs $2 to enter and from there you can win your way up to step 4 to compete for a $488 prize pool. You can buy in directly at any level.
• Beginner: You can play against other beginners for your first 50 contests in each sport. Once you reach the 50-contest limit, you’re no longer able to compete in these contests.

Deposit Options

Sportsbook Deposit Methods

Daily Fantasy Deposit Methods

Availability

DraftKings Fantasy has been busy expanding into new markets since the company’s launch. DraftKings DFS is now available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Malta and Austria.