DraftKings Sportsbook expects to make its Pennsylvania debut Monday as the sixth online sportsbook to launch in the Keystone State.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved DraftKings’ PA sports betting license on Wednesday.
Chief Compliance Officer Tim Dent gave details:
“DraftKings is excited to receive our sports wagering operator license, moving us one step closer to bringing our top-rated online and mobile Sportsbook app to sports fans in Pennsylvania. Working in partnership with the outstanding team at Penn National Gaming, we expect the mandatory soft-play period to begin on Nov. 4 toward the goal of an official public launch a few days later.”
This launch will be the fourth state launch for DraftKings Sportsbook online. The app is already live in Indiana, New Jersey and West Virginia.
DraftKings is also on its way to entering New Hampshire after topping the state’s report card for mobile and retail.
Joining a growing PA sports betting market
DraftKings Sportsbook is jumping into a PA sports betting market that could eventually eclipse Nevada and New Jersey.
For now, the market is ramping up at a pretty significant rate as more operators launch. The first month of NFL games helped push handle to about $195 million in September, up 78.4% over August’s total.
DraftKings’ will battle long-time competitor FanDuel Sportsbook for the early lead in Pennsylvania. FanDuel quickly gained control of the market after a July launch and accounted for more than half of the state’s $158.2 million in online handle in September.
DraftKings Sportsbook’s PA partners
Two partner agreements are making the Pennsylvania sports betting launch possible for DraftKings.
The most important is the market access agreement. That comes courtesy of Penn National, which operates Hollywood and Meadows casinos in the state.
Pennsylvania was one of seven states that Penn National granted DraftKings access to over the summer through a 10-year agreement.
On the technology side, DraftKings signed an extension with the sportsbook platform provider Kambi in August. The extension included agreements for eight additional states, one of which is Pennsylvania.
