DraftKings Review
DraftKings Review – Introduction:
DraftKings is currently the largest daily fantasy sports website in the world. Based out of Boston, USA, DraftKings provide daily fantasy opportunities within Esports but also a whole host of traditional sports. Since their formation in 2012 DraftKings have grown to become an established brand with partnerships currently with the MLB, ESPN and Fox Sports.
Over the course of 2015 DraftKings paid out over $1 billion in prize money.
In Esports DraftKings have started sponsoring several teams: TSM, Cloud9, CLG, SK Gaming, CompLexity and Mousesports.
DraftKings is currently only available in the USA and Canada but in 2015 they took out a gambling license in the UK, so expect to see Draftkings in Europe soon.
Reputation and Reliability:
DraftKings have an impeccable reputation, only tarnished by several US states officially declaring that fantasy sports are seen as “gambling” and hence operating such a website is an illegal activity. DraftKings and other DFS sites are challenging this assertion through the courts.
When you consider they paid out over $1bn in prizes in 2015 you’ll find this reassuring when questioning their reputation and reliability.
The issue around legality does not only affect DraftKings but every daily fantasy sports site. So far Nevada, New York and Illinois have ruled DraftKings are operating illegally and require a gambling license. Thus, you probably won’t be able to register if you live in those states.
DraftKings – CSGO Betting:
As it stands, DraftKings don’t offer fantasy CSGO. Given that they have sponsored a number of CS:GO teams we expect this to change before too long.
DraftKings – eSports history:
DraftKings’ Esports began in September 2015 when they announced that they would open the DK HUD, an Esports version of the DraftKings Playbook. The same day, they announced that DraftKings was sponsoring 6 professional gaming teams: SK Gaming, Cloud9, Team SoloMid, Counter Logic Gaming, CompLexity and Mousesports. The deal was reported to be worth millions of dollars and was brokered by sports marketing agency IMG. It is the biggest investment by any website from the betting industry into eSports so far. They started offering fantasy League of Legends on October 1st, 2015.
Payment Options:
DraftKings offer deposits via all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX and Discover) as well as via PayPal and Dwolla. The minimal deposit is $5 and should you win big there is no maximum withdrawal!
Withdrawals automatically go back on to the deposit method used previously. Withdrawal times take between 2-8 business days however should you require a check expect 2-3 weeks for delivery.
Customer Support:
Annoyingly, the only way to contact DraftKings is via email (support@draftkings.com). They work between 9am-11pm EST, with slightly shorter hours on weekends. There is no live chat, no phone support, nothing. If you have an issue this isn’t ideal because you are at their mercy as to how long the response will take. We haven’t had to use their customer support yet though.
Website & Betting Options:
Typically you start with an imaginary balance of $50,000. You then need to select players, who have different prices based on their historic performances, utilising this money effectively to give yourself the best possible chance of accumulating points. You are then awarded points based on the players’ performances during a tournament or a specific game-day.
There are however several different types of tournaments you can join:
DraftKings Tournament Play
Here you pay an entry fee and enter a tournament with a set amount of prize money, very much like a poker tournament. Prize money is awarded in a decreasing fashion – the winner gets the majority of the prize pool.
DraftKings 50/50
Similar to the above except half of the entrants win and half lose. Great if you want to simply attempt to double your deposit.
DraftKings Multipliers
Similar to 50/50 but you could potentially win up to 3 times your entry fee.
New tournament types are being added constantly so there’s always a tournament available regardless of how much you’d like to wager. There are games for as little as $0.01.
Sports Markets:
DraftKings offer pretty much all the major American sports such as American Football (both the NFL and college football), NBA basketball as well as college basketball, ice hockey, golf, MMA, soccer and NASCAR. If you want to wager on anything to do with those sports – DraftKings is the place to do it. There are loads of tournaments for you to look at. From time to time, DraftKings run free to enter tournaments with large cash prizes. There are huge volumes of entrants which means you’d need a lot of luck to win, but you’ve got to be in it to win it!
Other Products:
It’s just daily fantasy sports at DraftKings. There’s no casino, poker or traditional sports betting, because those products are illegal to play in most American states.
Verdict:
DraftKings is the undoubted industry leader in Daily Fantasy Esports. They demand respect as the leading overall DFS company too. However, they don’t support CSGO and we don’t recommend joining DraftKings.
