DraftKings Sports is scheduled to go live in New York this coming weekend. The online sportsbook is one of just four to have been given the green light by state regulators and is promising a slew of promotions to coincide with the launch.
Prospective players can already enjoy a pre-launch promo offer of $100 of free bets by signing up to DraftKings NY before the site goes live in the Empire State on Saturday. With over 20 million inhabitants, New York will immediately become the largest state in which DraftKings operates an online sportsbook.
DraftKings Sports is slated to launch on Saturday, January 8, alongside competitors BetRivers (under the Rush Street Interactive license), Ceasars Sportsbook, and Fanduel. The regulators released a press release on Thursday stating that the four sportsbooks had “satisfied all statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to accept and process mobile sports wagering activity.”
Johnny Avello, Director of Race and Sportsbook Operations, DraftKings, was clearly enthused at the prospect of the site going live in his native state: “Growing up in New York and having spent the last 30-plus years in Las Vegas, I am thrilled that my worlds are finally set to collide.”
He continued, “Millions of New Yorkers will soon discover what we believe makes our DraftKings Sportsbook the very best in customer service and real-money gaming and entertainment.”
Jason Robins, DraftKings’ CEO, co-founder and chairman of the board expressed his excitement at the prospect: “We are pleased to bring new levels of access and immersive engagement to New Yorkers with the arrival of mobile sports betting.”
He also emphasized his gratitude to the state’s gaming regulators, saying, “A special thanks to Governor Hochul, Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Pretlow, the New York Gaming Commission, along with the tireless efforts of our dedicated DraftKings team.”
DraftKings NY Pre-Launch Offer: The Details
DraftKings NY is offering $100 to all prospective players who complete the registration process, and opt-in before the site officially launches in NY. The free bets must be used within 7 days and the promotion is limited to one per player.
Customers wishing to take advantage of the DraftKings NY Promo Offer must register before the site goes live, which is scheduled to be on the morning of Saturday, January 8. By law, the earliest that the four operators can start accepting bets is 9am ET.
Each operator can choose exactly when they wish to launch but it is likely that DraftKings NY will be up and running as close to this time as is logistically possible — capitalizing on the final weekend of the regular NFL season.
The playoffs will be following shortly after, and New York has a huge sporting culture — with 10 professional sports teams across six major leagues, so all operators will want to be live in very short order.
More Sportsbooks Likely to launch in the Near Future
Unsurprisingly, with such a prestigious sporting heritage, there are several other operators waiting in the wings, who will be looking to launch as soon as they can. DraftKings will want to steal a march and establish themselves as a go-to brand before that happens.
There are currently five other operators with conditional licenses who will be approved on a rolling basis, once they have met all of the regulatory requirements. These are Bally Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, Resorts World, and WynnBET.
