DraftKings has come a long way from a small-time daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator. The company has begun to spread blackjack as an extension of its New Jersey sportsbook.
Both Android and iOS users can now play blackjack for real money on DraftKings Casino in NJ. The iOS version launched on Dec. 18, one day after the Android version.
More games will soon follow. Casino favorites like roulette table games, game slots, and video poker are sure to become part of the offering.
Blackjack is easier and stabler to offer
The truth of the matter is that producing an online blackjack product is a far easier proposition than launching an online sportsbook. The complexity of different betting types and sport-specific features makes the creation of a friendly user interface quite the challenge.
DraftKings has a stranglehold on the online sports betting market in New Jersey, however. So, navigating the technological road to blackjack gives the company little pause.
Blackjack also presents a stabler and easier cashflow than sports betting, too. For all of its largesse, sports betting is a cyclical game that depends entirely on the fortunes of the various sports seasons. Additionally, it is a low-margin endeavor. Casinos offer it to get people in the door, but operators would certainly prefer to have these customers playing table games.
Blackjack is a year-round endeavor with no season to speak of though. Players can hit, stand, or double down whether it’s snowing outside or the dog days of summer.
FanDuel may be coming along soon
If history is any guide, chief DraftKings rival FanDuel Sportsbook will join the online casino market soon. The two sports betting companies always seem to move together in innovation and strategy.
Lately, DraftKings has been getting the better of the rivalry. However, FanDuel has plenty of muscle behind it, thanks to its merger with Paddy Power Betfair last May.
PPB has made no secret about the fact that it intends FanDuel to be the brand name of the company in the US. That thinking is part of the reason that the US operations fall under the umbrella of the FanDuel Group.
It is possible that FanDuel might create a new casino wholecloth. However, it is more likely that PPB’s Betfair Online Casino, which doesn’t have the same draw associated with its name, will undergo a rebrand.
Regardless, both companies are not just fighting over a few million dollars a year anymore. By and large, the entire New Jersey sports betting market has these two whippersnappers at the helm.
