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DraftKings Doubles Down On NJ Gambling, Launches Blackjack

After successfully launching an online sportsbook in New Jersey this year, DraftKings is now getting in the casino business and offering online blackjack.

DraftKings NJ Blackjack
Bart Shirley Avatar
2 mins read
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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 s can now 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 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 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 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.

Bart Shirley Avatar
Written by

Bart Shirley is the managing editor of evergreen content for PlayUSA. He’s been writing and reporting on the gambling industry since 2013. Prior to working for PlayUSA, Shirley was a feature writer for QuadJacks, a site covering issues in poker. He also writes for BonusCodePoker, a poker satire site that lampoons the lighter side of card games. Shirley is a graduate of the MBA program at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business and has a degree in English from Texas A&M University. He grew up in Houston, TX, and lives in Katy, just west of Houston. Shirley is also a former high school teacher. He is married, has one daughter, and practices Brazilian jiu jitsu in his spare time.

View all posts by Bart Shirley

Bart Shirley is the managing editor of evergreen content for PlayUSA. He’s been writing and reporting on the gambling industry since 2013. Prior to working for PlayUSA, Shirley was a feature writer for QuadJacks, a site covering issues in poker. He also writes for BonusCodePoker, a poker satire site that lampoons the lighter side of card games. Shirley is a graduate of the MBA program at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business and has a degree in English from Texas A&M University. He grew up in Houston, TX, and lives in Katy, just west of Houston. Shirley is also a former high school teacher. He is married, has one daughter, and practices Brazilian jiu jitsu in his spare time.

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