DraftKings Officially Launches Mobile Sports Betting App

August 3rd, 2018

DraftKings Officially Launches Mobile Sports Betting App

DraftKings officially launched their mobile sportsbook just in time for the NFL Hall Of Fame game on Thursday.

The DraftKings Sportsbook launched on Thursday as invitation only for fans who signed up for the Sportsbook newsletter. The app, which is powered by Kambi, is the first mobile sportsbook available to US customers outside of Nevada.

Kambi CEO Kristian Nylen:

“This launch marks an exciting new chapter for Kambi, creating history by becoming the first sports betting supplier to process online wagers in the U.S. following the repeal of PASPA. In addition, to so quickly meet the New Jersey regulator's online standards and requirements is also pleasing, as the achievement enhances our position as the secure and quality choice for operators seeking a sportsbook partner.”

DraftKings First To The Punch

DraftKings and Kambi have been busy, only agreeing to a partnership six weeks ago. It speaks to the cooperation between the two that they’ve already begun taking wagers on their mobile app.

The application submitted to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement was approved on Wednesday, leading to initial reports of DraftKings launching their Sportsbook app. The invite-only version of the app was actually launched on Thursday before the first preseason game of the 2018/19 NFL season.

Currently only available in New Jersey, the official app has no release date set yet. The invite-only app is technically a final field test for DraftKings and Kambi, and the app is still subject to final approval by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and required by New Jersey state law, according to Kami’s press release.

The app uses geo-tracking coding to ensure that anyone who wants to place bets are within New Jersey state lines. They’ll also be subject to hours of operation during the invite-only phase. These “soft play” rules will be in effect for at least five days. More permanently, bettors in New Jersey won’t be allowed to bet on any college games within the state, or involving teams that are from New Jersey.

Some app features include the ability to change the displayed odds between American odds, decimal, or fraction odds. A perk for existing DraftKings players, the app is linked to a player’s daily fantasy account. So DraftKings Sportsbook reads a player’s daily fantasy habits and provides a a carousel of relevant wagers based on previous daily fantasy plays.

Other Companies Moving Forward

DraftKings won’t be alone in New Jersey for very long. MGM CEO Jim Murren already announced plans to have their own sports betting active in New Jersey by the end of the week. FanDuel also plans to have their mobile sportsbook up and running by the time the NFL regular season begins.

MGM announced their intentions during their press conference announcing their historic partnership with the NBA. Murren casually dropped the fact while talking about their current sports betting facilities. MGM has yet to officially announce the launch of their mobile betting, but it’s expected to come soon.

Caesars Entertainment also announced their intentions to launch their sports betting app within the near future. They didn’t announce a specific date for their mobile app, but did announce that Bally’s Wild Wild West will begin accepting sports wagers on July 30th and Harrah’s Atlantic City would begin on August 1st.