Gambling in the USA
DraftKings Reports Third Quarter Results and Raises 2020 Revenue Guidance

Reports Third Quarter Revenue of $133 million; Increases 2020 Pro Forma Revenue Guidance to $540 million to $560 million; Introduces 2021 Revenue Guidance of $750 million to $850 million
Boston, MA – November 13, 2020— DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) (“DraftKings” or the “Company”) today reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2020. For the three months ended September 30, 2020, DraftKings reported revenue of $133 million, an increase of 98% compared to $67 million during the same period in 2019. After giving pro forma effect to the business combination with SBTech (Global) Limited and Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp., as if it had occurred on January 1, 2019, revenue grew 42% compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019.
“The resumption of major sports such as the NBA, MLB and the NHL in the third quarter, as well as the start of the NFL season, generated tremendous customer engagement,” said Jason Robins, DraftKings’ co-founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board. “In addition to our year-over-year pro forma revenue growth of 42%, DraftKings recorded an increase in monthly unique payers of 64% to over 1 million, demonstrating the effectiveness of our data-driven sales and marketing approach. Our product offerings and scalable platform provide a distinctive and personalized experience for customers across the ten states where we operate mobile sports betting today, and we look forward to entering additional jurisdictions at the earliest opportunity.”
Return of Major Sports and Unique Sports Calendar Drive Growth and Attractive Customer Acquisition Opportunities
- Monthly Unique Payers (“MUPs”) for our B2C segment increased by 64% compared to the third quarter of 2019. On average, more than a million monthly unique paying customers engaged with DraftKings each month during the third quarter. This improvement reflected continued growth of our core DFS product spurred by on-going product innovation, strong engagement from existing Sportsbook and iGaming players, and expansion of our player base in several new states.
- Average Revenue Per Monthly Unique Payer (“ARPMUP”) for our B2C segment was $34 due to limited sports activity in July and atypical hold rates from NFL wagering through the third week of the season, which was partially offset by increased engagement with our iGaming product offering.
- GAAP sales and marketing expense increased to $203 million in the three months ended September 30, 2020. The increase over the third quarter of 2019 was primarily due to being live in seven more states, including Illinois, for Week 1 of the NFL season this year versus Week 1 of 2019. DraftKings experienced strong returns on its marketing spend due in part to pent-up demand, the unique sports calendar, and the stay-at-home nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Increasing 2020 Revenue Guidance and Introducing 2021 Revenue Guidance
- DraftKings is raising its fiscal year 2020 pro forma revenue guidance from a range of $500 to $540 million to a range of $540 to $560 million, which equates to year-over-year pro forma revenue growth of 25% to 30% in 2020, despite COVID-19’s impact on the major sports calendar. This guidance assumes that all announced sports calendars are maintained through the end of the year and that we continue to operate in states in which we are live today.
- DraftKings is also introducing 2021 revenue guidance of $750 million to $850 million, which equates to 45% year-over-year growth based on the mid-points of the Company’s 2020 pro forma revenue guidance range and the Company’s 2021 revenue guidance range. This range is based on the same assumptions used for the Company’s 2020 guidance, in particular that all professional and college sports calendars that have been announced come to fruition, including the commencement of their 2020 to 2021 seasons, and that we continue to operate in states in which we are live today.
- Detailed financial data and other information is available in DraftKings’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, being filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as in a slide presentation that can be accessed through the “Investors” section of the Company’s website at investors.draftkings.com.
DraftKings Grows Its Nation-Leading Mobile Sports Betting Footprint
During the third quarter, DraftKings launched mobile sports betting in Illinois and iGaming in West Virginia.
- As a result of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s suspension of the in-person registration requirement, DraftKings was able to effectively acquire new Illinois customers to the platform as well as cross-sell from its existing product offerings. Illinois has quickly become the Company’s fastest-growing state as well as one of its largest states in terms of handle.
- Following its successful launch in Tennessee, DraftKings is now live with mobile sports betting in 10 states, which is more than any other company in the industry. These 10 states together represent 20% of the U.S. population, a position that DraftKings has achieved just two and a half years after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
- The Company continues to work with state officials on regulations and licensing in Michigan for sports betting and iGaming and in Virginia for sports betting and expects to launch in these states at the earliest practicable opportunity. Michigan and Virginia together account for 6% of the U.S. population and have already legalized these offerings.
- Maryland (with 67% voter approval), South Dakota (with 58% voter approval) and 55 of 64 parishes in Louisiana (representing approximately 97% of the state’s population) recently passed referendums in favor of sports betting. These states together account for 3.5% of the U.S. population.
- In addition, Ontario’s government recently presented its annual budget, which included language that would modify the long-standing statutory internet gaming framework in order to allow private operators to join the province in offering sports betting and iGaming products. Ontario’s population would make it the fifth largest U.S. state by population. DraftKings has offered its DFS product in Canada since 2012.
Commercial and Strategic Agreements
DraftKings announced several advantageous commercial and strategic agreements in the quarter that are expected to provide the Company with access to unique and valuable content, intellectual property and marketing assets, including:
- an expansion of a multi-year content and marketing relationship with the PGA TOUR to become the first Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR.
- an exclusive multi-year extension to remain the Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner of Major League Baseball.
- an exclusive multi-year deal with the Chicago Cubs, making DraftKings the Official Sports Betting Operator and Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the Cubs, including a plan to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook at Wrigley Field.
- a multi-year agreement with ESPN to collaborate in a variety of areas including becoming a co-exclusive sportsbook link-out provider and exclusive daily fantasy sports link-out provider.
- an exclusive, multi-year agreement with the New York Giants, making DraftKings the official sports betting, gaming & casino and daily fantasy partner of the team.
- an agreement with the Colorado Rockies to be named both the franchise’s Official Daily Sports Partner and the franchise’s first Official Sports Betting Partner.
Product and Technology
DraftKings unveiled several technology enhancements and new product features during the third quarter:
- launched standalone casino app in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, offering users a more holistic product suite and dynamic gaming experience in a DraftKings-created casino app.
- launched Best Ball, a new season-long DFS game variant, featuring snake drafts. The streamlined draft format enables the Company to engage with customers long before the traditional pre-NFL period. DraftKings will launch Best Ball versions for fantasy basketball and hockey in the near future.
- introduced several new DraftKings-created games for online casino, including new versions of blackjack, roulette and baccarat.
- made various improvements to the mobile and online Sportsbook to further differentiate the customer experience including the addition of dark mode and shifting of main navigation (online) to the left rail.
Environmental-Social-Governance Initiatives
DraftKings had several notable ESG-related highlights during the quarter, including:
- strengthened our corporate governance foundation by appointing two new Board members, Jocelyn Moore and Valerie Mosley. The two directors each bring unique skills, experiences and ideas, and will play an important role in shaping the future of DraftKings and helping us achieve our long-term goals.
- welcomed Michael Jordan as a special advisor to the Board. Jordan will provide strategic and creative input to the Board on brand strategy, product development, inclusion, equity and belonging, marketing activities and other key initiatives.
- donated all of the Company’s daily fantasy sports revenue from the NBA and WNBA games on August 28 and 29, totaling approximately $340,000, to organizations promoting racial justice.
- announced Election Day as an official DraftKings company holiday; employees at all DraftKings offices worldwide will now receive their respective election day as a holiday.
- raised $20,000 through charity DFS contests in support of the Company’s Tech for Heroes initiative, which provides recent and returning veterans and their spouses with free, high-tech skills training in areas like front end web development and cybersecurity.
Webcast and Conference Call Details
DraftKings will host a conference call and audio webcast today at 8:30 a.m. EDT, during which management will discuss the Company’s third quarter results and provide commentary on business performance. A question and answer session will follow the prepared remarks.
The conference call may be accessed by dialing (833) 644-0686 for domestic callers or (918) 922-6762 for international callers. Once connected with the operator, please provide the conference ID of 2644858.
A live audio webcast of the earnings conference call may be accessed on the Company’s website at investors.draftkings.com, along with a copy of this press release, the Company’s Form 10-Q filing, and a slide presentation. The audio webcast and accompanying presentation will be available on the Company’s investor relations website until 11:59 p.m. EDT on December 14, 2020.
Gambling in the USA
Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Rising in Kings Mountain as First Year of Construction is Completed

Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., a site off Interstate-85 only 35 miles from Charlotte and close to the South Carolina border.
Construction on all aspects of the project is in full swing, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago, the casino complex at its full height and expanding horizontally, and steel continuing to rise for the 24-story, 385-room hotel. The hotel tower framing is now 10 stories high, with an additional floor being added nearly every week. At completion, the hotel will be connected to the casino complex.
The casino complex includes the introductory casino on the first level, three levels of covered parking, a back-of-house level and top level with the main casino floor and restaurants. The introductory casino, set to open in spring 2026, will include 1350 slot machines, 20 table games, a 40-seat restaurant, a bar, sports betting kiosks, and Lucky North Rewards desk.
The introductory casino will replace the current temporary (prelaunch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.
The main casino complex is targeted to open in 2027. It will be about 2 million square feet and feature:
• 4300 slot machines
• 100 table games
• 11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace with six venues, café, and grab-and-go outlet
• A players lounge
• 11 bars, including a center bar and sports bar
• A 2700-space parking garage built under the casino complex and 800 surface parking spaces
The project has created hundreds of construction jobs. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2200 regional residents and citizens of the Catawba Nation.
“This casino resort will be an economic game changer for Catawba citizens and a force to drive the economy of Cleveland County and the City of Kings Mountain. This project is a testament to our resilience, our commitment to self-sufficiency, and our determination to build a better future for ourselves and our future generations,” Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said.
Harris noted the temporary casino is contributing to many community and charitable organizations in the region, and that will only increase as the full casino resort opens.
The project is being led by the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority under Vice President Trent Troxel, with Yates-Metcon as the construction general contractor; Delaware North as the gaming management, development and hospitality consultant; and SOSHNY Design architects.
“Once again, I want to thank the Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nation’s efforts develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina,” Harris said.
Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for development of the permanent casino resort that were funded by the Catawba Nation: doubling the size of the Dixon School Road Bridge over I-85 near the casino entrance and installing new sewer lines near the casino.
Gambling in the USA
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Named Luckiest Casino in US by Casinos.com

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions.
With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.”
Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
“I hit 4 jackpots. I stayed one night. I had a blast. The machines are as loose as anywhere else,” wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer, noted Casinos.com, capturing the essence of why the casino landed in the No. 1 spot.
“We’ve always known this was a lucky casino, but it’s exciting to see that recognized through data-driven research. It’s a testament to the vibrant energy on our casino floor and the unforgettable experiences we strive to create for every guest,” said Steve Bonner, President of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
The ranking reinforces Seminole Hard Rock Tampa’s reputation as one of the premier gaming and entertainment destinations in the US. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa was not involved in the study and was unaware of it until the results were publicly released.
Over the past year, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has paid out nearly 839,000 jackpots totaling more than $2.45 billion, continuing to deliver thrilling high-stakes gaming. Since May 1, 2024, the casino resort has awarded 375 jackpots of $100,000 or more, amounting to an impressive $61 million in winnings. Notably, 47 of those massive wins stemmed from bets of $5 or less and nine came from wagers of $3 or less.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa offers a fully integrated casino experience with a sleek, modern design and welcoming atmosphere of 245,000 square feet of gaming space and entertainment. With 5230 of the hottest slot machines and a full range of table games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat, there is no shortage of opportunities to win. Additionally, guests can enjoy live craps, roulette, and sports betting at their leisure.
Gambling in the USA
California Gambling Control Commission Advances Licensing, Tribal Partnerships, and Responsible Gaming Initiatives

Sacramento, CA — In a meeting packed with regulatory updates and licensing decisions, the California Gambling Control Commission (CGCC) convened on April 24 to advance numerous agenda items impacting the state’s gambling landscape—from tribal gaming approvals to responsible gambling programs and operator renewals.
Problem Gambling & Public Health Takes the Stage
The Commission meeting opened with a presentation by Sosha Marasigan-Quintero from the California Department of Public Health, offering an overview and update on the California Problem Gambling Treatment Services Program. While no specific staff recommendations were provided, the update underscores California’s continued focus on behavioral health in gambling.
Tribal Revenue Distribution Approved
The Commission approved the quarterly distribution of payments from the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund to eligible recipient Indian Tribes. This routine, yet vital, procedure ensures the equitable distribution of revenue to support tribal sovereignty and infrastructure across the state.
Cardroom Licensing: Approvals and Extensions
Among key licensing matters:
-
500 Club Casino (K & M Casinos, Inc.) received both initial and renewal owner-type license approvals through January 2027.
-
Casino Chico, Hollywood Park Casino, and Lake Bowl Cardroom were granted renewals and short-term extensions, some with conditions such as improving record-keeping systems or ensuring regulatory compliance ahead of reopening.
-
Hotel Del Rio & Casino was granted a 60-day extension under several strict conditions, including updated safety plans and the restatement of commingled financial records.
Key Employee Licensing Actions
The Commission approved several initial and renewal key employee licenses. Notably:
-
Jeffrey Thompson was approved with a condition prohibiting involvement in illegal gambling activities.
-
Kevin Lee and George Rahme received 120-day extensions for renewal processing.
Third-Party Proposition Player Services Under Scrutiny
The Commission approved both initial and temporary licenses for Fortune Players Group, Inc., with a lengthy list of conditions tied to the conduct of a former associate, Rene Medina. These conditions highlight the Commission’s ongoing vigilance in monitoring third-party player services and maintaining compliance across operations.
Progressive Gaming, LLC was also approved for an initial license, further expanding third-party service provider capacity.
Gaming Resource Suppliers & Tribal Approvals
Initial suitability findings for several prominent tribal gaming resource suppliers were approved, including:
-
HCAL, LLC
-
JCM Global
-
Konami Gaming, Inc.
-
PDS Gaming, LLC
Dozens of tribal gaming employees were also approved for key positions at tribal casinos across California, reflecting the Commission’s continued support of tribal gaming operations and the necessary workforce to support it.
Notable Withdrawals and Denials
In two notable cases, requests to withdraw license applications—Josephine Hoang and Jesus Bojorquez—were denied, signaling the Commission’s increased scrutiny and emphasis on applicant accountability.
A Broader Look Ahead
With regulatory reform on the horizon and ongoing efforts to promote responsible gaming, the April 2025 CGCC meeting showcased a mix of routine license management and deeper engagement with emerging compliance issues. As the Commission prepares for the next quarter, the groundwork laid in this session will likely influence policy developments and enforcement trends across California’s gambling sector.
-
eSports4 days ago
TEAM VITALITY WINS THE BLAST.TV AUSTIN MAJOR 2025, WELCOMING THE ERA OF TEAM VITALITY
-
eSports4 days ago
Red Bull Home Ground Heads to New York this November
-
Gambling in the USA4 days ago
Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Rising in Kings Mountain as First Year of Construction is Completed
-
Latest News4 days ago
WNBA’s Chicago Sky Announces Multi-year Partnership with bet365
-
Compliance Updates3 days ago
PHAI Files Lawsuit in Pennsylvania Over Caesars’ Dangerous Online Casino Promotion and “Pay Through Bonuses”
-
Latest News3 days ago
TG Lab unveils new Brazil office to further cement position as market’s most localised platform
-
Latest News3 days ago
Arizona Lottery Awards Pollard Banknote Three-year Contract Extension for Warehousing and Distribution
-
Latest News3 days ago
Industry-first: Dynamic, ‘Live Data’ feature in ads drives up to 20% growth in first-time depositors for iGaming customers