DraftKings Online Sportsbook NJ – A Look Back At 2018
Think back where you were on May 14, 2018. For those involved with NJ sports betting, it will be a day cemented into memory as a turning point in lives, like the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the election of President Barack Obama.
Jamie Shea, who heads the digital sportsbook at DraftKings, was one of the people most directly affected by the Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy (originally Christie) v. US that struck down NJ betting PASPA and allowed sports betting to expand beyond Nevada.
I spoke with Shea on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the decision that turned New Jersey into the Wild West of sports betting, and the DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) powerhouse into one of the biggest names in NJ sports bettings apps & throughout the entire US. She said the company was confident in the decision and started planning in early 2018.
“We said we’re going to take a calculated risk here and try to get something built up,” she said of the decision following the court hearing the case. “So we did our due diligence, we met with everybody that we could, and really just worked hard.”
Their efforts paid off with the ruling in May and the company being the first to market with a digital product on August 6th.
DFS Leader to Sports Betting Giant
DraftKings and their rival FanDuel entered a New Jersey market full of established names. Many of the brick-and-mortar casinos had owners with experience in Vegas or partnered with major names from Europe.
DraftKings managed to overcome those obstacles and become one of the two biggest books in terms of handle and revenue month after month in NJ.
Shea gave her company an A+ for the first year of operations and credits the strength of their brand recognition.
“I think we’ve done a good job over our history of getting our brand out there,” she said. “We’re a brand you trust and we’re a brand that you know.”
FanDuel has created a gap between them and DK, largely due to the success of their retail location at the Meadowlands, the closest legal book to New York City. DraftKings has a nice book at Resorts on the AC Boardwalk but it’s not as close to the largest metro market in America.
Looking Beyond 2019 & Beyond NJ Sports Betting
Shea credits the development of the sportsbook app, which melded the best practices in Nevada and the UK, as one of the things that has exceeded expectations for DraftKings.
“When you go into the app, I feel it’s organic, I feel you don’t have to go in knowing terminology,” Shea said. “I think we really just made it easier for a customer to go in and make that bet and not feel intimidation.”
Shea said the company is looking to the customer base to direct growth, from new features to new content. For new states, she’d like to see states legalize mobile and retail books to activate more business.
As a thank-you to customers, Tuesday featured odds boosts and even a free $5.14 bet for users. Many (including me) used it on the Golden State Warriors to win their third straight NBA title, which was boosted to +514, which would net over $26.
Shea wouldn’t say if DraftKings is planning any new partnerships, like those competitors are making with media outlets. Be we can only wait and see!
Check out all the promo codes, bonus offers and free bets DraftKings are currently offering…
&