Starting with the 2019/2020 season, DraftKings will be among NBA’s official sports betting operators. The multiyear agreement with the platform should improve the fan experience.
Professional leagues have been prohibiting sports wagering for many years. All major sports organizations deemed that betting affected the integrity of the games, and laws were on their side. However, since last year, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down PASPA, many states have started embracing sports betting. The profits are substantial, especially when it comes to the NBA.
As Ezra Kucharz of DraftKings stated, no games are more captivating than the NBA ones. Basketball matches are enjoyed globally, and the league is always seeking to innovate and better the fans’ experience. Kucharz emphasized that fans’ engagement can only benefit from legal sports betting and that DraftKings would unlock new opportunities for NBA fans.
NBA’s head of Fantasy & Gaming, Scott Kaufman-Ross, is looking forward to the partnership with the betting platform. As he said, the deal should provide an authentic gaming experience and protect the fairness of future basketball matches.
In the past, wagering was known to impact the results of sports games once in a while. In addition, a percentage of bettors would develop a gambling problem, so most leagues had an unfavorable view of sports betting. The law that prohibited gambling activity was first enforced in 1992, but times have changed since.
Today, there are many reputable sports and esports betting platforms, as well as ample opportunities to enjoy gambling without risking any money. When it comes to free betting chances, social casinos allow you to enjoy various titles without any costs. For instance, you can get some free coins for House of Fun, a Playtika app used by more than 20 million gamblers. And when it comes to operators, the NBA has made deals with the best ones — MGM, FanDuel, and now DraftKings.
As basketball is among the most popular sports betting categories, the agreement should allow DraftKings to enhance its offer. Live wagering is the most prevalent for the NBA since more than 70% of its bettors have made live bets on basketball matches. Fans have also placed many in-play wagers, as 45% of NBA profits have come from such bets.
The Boston-based operator has been around since 2012, but its sportsbook had become available only last year. Today, DraftKings boasts more than 10 million users all around the world and works with the most prominent professional leagues. Besides the NBA, it is NFL’s and MLB’s official operator and PGA’s Fantasy Partner. Its platform can be downloaded on mobile devices, including both iOS and Android.
As the NBA season’s prologue has come to an end, and the stakes are rising, the partnership should become more relevant, and sports betting more frequent. The mobile platform will surely facilitate live wagers, the most popular form of NBA bets.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
