The DraftKings sportsbook had an interesting soft launch on August 1 where it mobile sports betting app and web platform went on an invitation-only basis and it received mixed reviews. Users were impressed with the technology but there was a bit of negativity concerning the pricing.
The soft launch period allowed the company’s product and servers to be tested so that they could iron out any wrinkles before
DraftKings moved ahead with the official launched and opened it up to the public in New Jersey.
DraftKings has succeeded in getting its online sports betting platform up and running thanks to a lot of effort from the team. The early launch will enable the company to get ahead of its competitors as many of them are still waiting for their license to be approved.
In a statement, Jason Robins, Co-founder and CEO of DraftKings said
I am excited to begin this new chapter in our story by officially launching what I believe to be the most innovative mobile sports betting product in the U.S. We have put immense thought and significant resources behind the development of DraftKings Sportsbook and I’m confident that sports fans in New Jersey will enjoy using it to make the experience of watching the games even more interesting and thrilling.
Sports Handle checked out the new platform over this past weekend and made several interesting observations. They liked that the platform ran smoothly and were impressed with the number of prop bets that were available for UFC 227. The in-play scoreboard that automatically updated the odds and the ability to cash out live wagers also got the thumbs up.
With the MLB season in full swing, DraftKings sportsbook offers plenty of wagering opportunities including team totals, last team to score, and first inning results among others. There are several other sports and events that are being offered such as the ATP-Rogers Cup, PGA Championship and the Belgian Grand Prix along with loads of football futures.
Areas For Improvement
There has also been a fair amount of criticism of the pricing compared to Las Vegas sportsbooks but that is the price of doing business and wagering in a licensed market. The state of New Jersey collects 13% of gross revenues that are produced by DraftKings and the rest of the sportsbooks in the state.
When you consider that the offshore markets don’t pay anything it’s understandable that the prices are higher in New Jersey.
While sportsbooks in Vegas generally have 10, 15 or 20 cent lines for baseball, DraftKings’ moneylines are anywhere from 15 to 30 cents. This discrepancy shouldn’t have a huge impact and New Jersey bookmakers are expected to do just fine.
