Jason Robins, chief executive of DraftKings, has moved to distance daily fantasy sports (DFS) from sports betting, stating that the majority of fantasy customers in the US do not take part in sports wagering activities.
Despite having been rolled out in a number of states, DFS faces an uncertain future in the US due to concerns over its possible links with the sports betting market.
David Stern, the former commissioner of the NBA basketball league, recently admitted that he remains unsure about fantasy sports as this form of gaming is hard to distinguish from traditional sports gambling, while other figures in the US have also voiced their concerns over DFS.
However, in an effort to distance fantasy sports from traditional sports gambling, Robins last week told visitors at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas that DFS is not like sports betting and is instead more similar to skill-based games such as chess.
He also noted that the average DFS player does not bet on sports, with fewer than 15% of DraftKings customers taking part in traditional sports wagering through sportsbooks or offshore websites.
“It’s quite a different experience and it attracts quite a different customer,” Robins said.
Meanwhile, DraftKings has struck a three-year deal with the NFL to become a partner of the American football league’s International Series in the UK.
Each year, the NFL stages a number of regular-season matches in the UK, with the 2015 edition featuring teams such as the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Under the agreement, DraftKings will this year host events outside Wembley before all matches, as well as additional events at Trafalgar Square and on Regent Street.
The events will give fans the opportunity to take part in American football skills challenges to win merchandise, prizes and special experiences.
In addition, DraftKings advertising will appear during the broadcast of NFL matches in the UK.
The deal comes after DraftKings, in August, secured a licence to begin operating in the UK market.
“Our partnership with the NFL’s International Series provides the ideal platform in which to introduce fans to DraftKings in the UK as we expand beyond the US,” Robins said.
“As the league looks to introduce more sports fans to American football, we will look to showcase what we believe is the world’s best DFS product to British fans through the support of our new partner.”
