DraftKings Sportsbook is taking over the only Oregon sports betting app later this month.
The sportsbook announced Wednesday it would start transitioning customers from Oregon’s Scoreboard Lottery app to DraftKings on January 18.
DraftKings’ SBTech platform has been powering the Scoreboard app since it launched, with the Oregon Lottery in charge of operations. However, DraftKings will take over the reins in order to offer an “improved experience” for customers, the Lottery said.
Win-win situation
“We’re excited about the improved experience for our players – including the ability to make same game parlay bets. DraftKings is a premier provider in the US,” said Barry Pack, Oregon Lottery director.
“We see benefits for Lottery too, as the shift to DraftKings means fewer third-party service providers and a simpler financial structure for player accounts.”
What happens next in Oregon?
From January 18, current Scoreboard customers will be able to create a DraftKings account and transfer funds to the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
The Scoreboard app will remain live to settle open bets, but most functionality will be removed.
Bettors will still have access to transaction histories, account information, and the withdraw facility for six months post-transition.
Why the switch to DraftKings Sportsbook?
The Oregon Lottery Commission unanimously approved the switch in August last year.
The change has been in the works for a while now; Pack first mentioned it at a February meeting.
“The DraftKings platform is a lot more familiar to regular US sports bettors,” Pack said in August. “The SBTech platform was more of a European design.”
Is Oregon sports betting about to take off?
For DraftKings, the deal marks its second exclusive lottery agreement after New Hampshire.
In fact, the Granite State highlights the potential uplift for Oregon in moving from Scoreboard to DraftKings.
Through 11 months of 2021:
| Oregon | New Hampshire | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4.24 million | 1.37 million |
| Handle | $298 million | $617 million |
| Handle per capita | $70.22 | $451.93 |
New Hampshire does benefit from betting tourism from other New England states, as well as college sports betting. But an experienced operator like DraftKings can only help Oregon sports betting when it comes to marketing and bonuses.
What DraftKings said
Paul Liberman, DraftKings co-founder, added:
“DraftKings is thrilled to embark on this journey with the Oregon Lottery as we build out a coast-to-coast presence with our top-rated online sportsbook for these fans to experience ahead of the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl.”
