DraftKings launching Sportsbook Monday

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approved DraftKings’ Pennsylvania sports betting license.

The daily fantasy sports provider turned sports betting operator expects to launch its online betting platform on Monday, November 4, 2019.

In a statement, DraftKings chief compliance officer, Tim Dent said: “DraftKings is excited to receive our sports wagering operator license, moving us one step closer to bringing our top-rated online and mobile Sportsbook app to sports fans in Pennsylvania.

“Working in partnership with the outstanding team at Penn National Gaming, we expect the mandatory soft-play period to begin on November 4 toward the goal of an official public launch a few days later.”

Once DraftKings completes its Pennsylvania launch it will have an online presence in four states.

DraftKings Sportsbook’s online and mobile platform is currently live in New Jersey, West Virginia and Indiana. The sportsbook is also on track to launch in New Hampshire after winning the New Hampshire Lottery’s RFP for sports betting.

Another online sportsbook

Pennsylvania’s online sports betting market has been seeing steady growth over the months, with several sports betting brands launching mobile apps and betting sites.

If DraftKings does launch on Monday, it will be the sixth online sportsbook available to bettors in the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania bettors currently have access to a handful of online betting options, which include FanDuel, SugarHouse, Rivers, Parx and Fox Bet.

The European sports betting platform Unibet is also set to launch its online sportsbook in Pennsylvania next month through a partnership with Mohegan Sun.

Once DraftKings goes live, it will find itself locked in a battle for the early market lead with FanDuel. FanDuel is currently the most popular sportsbook among bettors in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Sports betting in Pennsylvania

There are currently 10 land-based sportsbooks and five online sportsbooks operating in the Keystone State.

Mobile and online sports betting officially went live in the Keystone State in May, when SugarHouse Casino launched its online platform, PlaySugarHouse.

In the months since SugarHouse launched its online platform, Parx, Rivers and FanDuel launched online and mobile sports betting operations.

In September, sportsbooks in the Keystone State took more than $194.5m in sports bets and generated $19m in revenue.

In Pennsylvania, online wagering accounted for $158.2m of the $194.5m that was wagered in September. Online was also the primary source of income for sportsbooks and accounted for $13.7m of the state’s sports betting revenue in September.