Boston-based daily fantasy sports contest provider, DraftKings, has entered the sports betting industry, namely the New Jersey market, having reportedly partnered with the first casino hotel in Atlantic City, Resorts Casino Hotel, on Friday morning.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that DraftKings is one of a handful of companies that have moved quickly to capitalize on the budding legal sports betting market in the U.S. since the Supreme Court, on May 14, 2018, struck down the federal ban on single-game wagering in a 6-3 ruling that capped a legal battle that began in August 2012.
“Everybody knows there’s a big opportunity out there,” said DraftKings Chief Executive Officer, Jason Robins. “It’s a new thing, so people are trying to see how they want to go about it, who they want to partner with. Anytime you’ve got a big market about to be created, there’s so much opportunity out there that everyone should benefit, as long as you do it the right way,” as reported by the AP.
Resorts owner, Morris Bailey, via his New York City-based JEMB Reality Corp., reportedly called DraftKings a “dynamic brand.”
The AP reports that Bailey is also opposed to the 1% tax, or “integrity fee” sought by professional sports leagues, namely the NBA, to help compensate for what NBA spokesman Mike Bass said is the increased investment in compliance and enforcement.
After years of the NBA and other major professional sports leagues claiming that they wanted to stop the proliferation of legal sports betting in order to protect the integrity of their games, and waging a nearly six-year battle in court, which it lost, the NBA decided it wanted a piece of the action.
Bailey said “It’s totally inappropriate,” and “It’s the height of hypocrisy to take the position they did,” according to the AP.
In addition to more traditional wagers on the outcome of games, DraftKings reportedly plans to offer in-game betting opportunities and mobile and web-based operations.
The AP reports that CEO Robins said, “We have a well-known brand that’s very closely identified with winning money on sports,” and that as soon as they get the go-ahead from NJ regulators, his company is “ready to go.” According to earlier reports, state lawmakers are looking to pass a bill to regulate and tax sports betting by early June.
The new partnership is on the heels of European online and retail sports betting operator Paddy Power Betfair last month acquiring a controlling stake in U.S. daily fantasy sports firm FanDuel. The Dublin-headquartered bookmaker entered the American daily fantasy sports market in 2017 following its $48 million purchase of PlayDraft.com.
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