DraftKings is a daily fantasy sports platform founded in 2012. The platform allows users to sign up and enter competitions for a chance to win money in daily and weekly contests. Users create a “fantasy team” where they can select a team of players in a particular sport. Users get a set budget to spend, which they must use to create the team they think will perform best.
DraftKings offers competitions in most major sports, including basketball, football, soccer, and hockey. In addition to the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, there are individual competitions for PGA golf, Champions League and Premier League soccer, NASCAR, Canadian Football, tennis, and MMA.
While DraftKings offers the chance to win real money, its daily fantasy sports competitions aren’t considered to be gambling, so it’s legal in states even where sports betting and online gambling are still against the law. However, DraftKings also offers sports betting, which is only permitted in some states.
Many state legislatures have introduced legislation in recent years confirming and clarifying the legality of Daily Fantasy Sports activities. DraftKings keeps a close eye on new developments and takes swift action to ensure that it complies with the laws of each jurisdiction in where it operates. DraftKings will take steps to assure its continuous compliance if laws change or rules are established, and this site may be updated to reflect any such new laws or regulations.
States Where DraftKings isn’t Legal
DraftKings can be played in most states, including Texas, California, Arizona, and New York. DraftKings Arizona players can use the site to enter fantasy sports contests in a wide range of sports. The only states where the site isn’t legal are:
- Washington
- Oregon
- Montana
- Idaho
- Nevada
What is DraftKings Sportsbook?
When legal sports betting opened up in the US, DraftKings soon capitalized on the decision by launching its own legal online sportsbook. The sportsbook is separate from the Daily Fantasy Sports platform, but users can sign in using the same username and password in many cases.
DraftKings Sportsbook was launched in New Jersey in August 2018, making it the state’s first legal mobile sports betting operator. Since its start in New Jersey, DraftKings has expanded its mobile sports betting operations to Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Hampshire, where it debuted on December 30, 2019, following a partnership with the New Hampshire Lottery.
In addition, DraftKings has launched retail sportsbooks, allowing it to still operate in states where online sports betting isn’t permitted. This includes Iowa, Mississippi, and New York. Bettors in states that have legalized sports betting can use DraftKings Sportsbook’s mobile and retail sports betting products to wager on the majority of major US and international sports.
How to Win DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily Fantasy Sports such as DraftKings are a lot of fun but can be challenging for new players. Simply knowing the sport isn’t enough, as you also need to do a huge amount of research to learn the best picks, understand salary cap strategies, and knowing the most popular plays. Unless you have loads of time to spend researching or you have lots of luck, it’s unlikely you’re going to win one of the major contests.
Luckily, there are plenty of guides available, including this one. Here are a few tips to help you improve your DFS game and have more success:
Try Out Beginner Contests
When you first start playing DraftKings, the best thing you can do is take part in beginner contests. These are much less competitive than some of the major contests and allow you time to get to grips with how everything works.
Play Against Friends
You can also start out playing in private leagues against friends. This is also a good way to learn the ropes and understand how the contests work and the best strategies to use. As long as your friends aren’t DFS experts, you should be able to compete.
Use the DraftKings Playbook
DraftKings provides a free resource with all the latest information on the game. There are detailed tips on strategy and research, and it provides much-needed info for beginners and experts alike.
Collect Crowns
DraftKings provides a loyalty system, offering crowns to users who pay to enter a contest. These crowns can later be spent in the VIP store for bonuses and extras.