DraftKings Sportsbook Review (Oct 2024): Bet $5 get $200

As someone who loves sports betting, I always look for the best bonuses, the best odds, and the most comfortable player experience. I’ve been reviewing the best US sportsbooks for quite a while now, and have developed a deep understanding of the differences between the various sites, what the norm is, and what a player can expect from them.

That’s how I’ve been able to write this DraftKings sportsbook review 2024 with every angle in mind.

Let’s start with an overview of DraftKings’ main strengths and weaknesses and a little about the company.

DraftKings History – Where it started

DraftKings got its start in 2012 as a DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) website. In 2018 when the law that limited sports betting all around the US was repealed, DraftKings began operating in NJ as a sportsbook.

DraftKings’ primary competitor is FanDuel, despite the fact that the two had once agreed to a merger, which was blocked by the Federal Trade Commission to prevent what it determined to be the risk of a monopoly.

DraftKings is now headquartered in Boston, MA, and operates its sportsbook in 25 US states with 2.8 million active users. It’s also runs a casino in a few states (CT, MI, NJ, PA, WV).

DraftKings has a great reputation and is widely considered to be one of the best bookmakers out there. Michael Jordan is one of DraftKings’ current board advisors.

Where is DraftKings legal?

DraftKings is legal in half of the United States. It’s also legal in a handful of other countries, including:

• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• Germany
• France
• Spain
• Italy
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Finland
• Norway
• Australia
• New Zealand

Which states is DraftKings legal in?

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

DraftKings Bonuses & Promotions – 4.6/5

DraftKings doesn’t have a crazy amount of bonuses for existing customers, but they have enough to stay competitive with other sportsbooks. Though I appreciate DraftKings' current sign-up bonus, especially with the discount provided by the DraftKings promo code. It’s impressive compared to some of its competitors.

DraftKings Sign-up Offer: $200 in Bonus Bets

New users to the platform get $200 in bonus bets after their first $5 wager, win or lose. This is similar to Fanduel’s current offer, which is bet $5, get $150. DraftKings gives you $50 more though.

I was able to use this to place several bets. I broke it up and used it for player props instead of putting the entire $200 on one. That was great since this is what I normally like to do, and I was using house money, which made me not mind as much if some of my picks didn’t hit. Those that did were all upside just from a $5 deposit.

DraftKings has an additional first-time deposit bonus offer of 20% up to $1000. This might be more suitable for players who want to start out with a higher initial deposit. With a full $1000 deposit, they still get the same amount ($200) bonus bets.

DraftKings casino has a deposit bonus of $100 for depositing at least $5. The bonus gets credited to players’ accounts instantly.

DraftKings Loyalty Program

DraftKings’ loyalty program is called Dynasty Rewards. It’s a tiered system much like many of its competitors have. Every dollar you wager earns you Crowns and Tier Credits.

Crowns are what you can cash in for things like DraftKings Casino bonus credits or betting tickets, and Tier Credits essentially earn you points that determine which of the five tier levels your Dynasty Rewards account belongs to.

Being in a higher tier brings you more benefits, which includes things like access to designated VIP perks, priority customer support, and entry into exclusive sweepstakes.

The tiers are:

• Onyx ?
• Diamond ?
• Gold?
• Silver ?
• Bronze ?

DraftKings Promotion for Existing Customers

One of the things I love most about DraftKings is when they have customizable odds boosts. Although they don’t have any that are for sports in season at the moment, they do appear periodically, which is great. Their current friend referral program offers profit boosts for NCAAM (more on that below).

DraftKings’ current promos for existing customers are centered around the popular sporting events of the month.

Baseball Promos ⚾

DraftKings has several MLB promos going on at the moment, which only makes sense since the season is in full swing (pun intended).

MLB Early Win April promo – This allows bettors to win their moneyline bet if at any point during the game the team they bet on leads by at least two—even if they end up losing.

Four-Bagger Super Boost promo – If the Giants’ Jorge Soles or Matt Chapman hits a home run, your wager will be boosted by +200.

Basketball Promos ?

The NBA Playoffs are about to tip off, and DraftKings has a few specific promos to take advantage of. This is one of my favorite times of the year to place bets, so these promos got me even more excited.

NBA No Sweat SGP or SGPx promo – Any Same Game Parlay or SGPx bets get returned in bonus bets if you lose.

NBA Playoff Brackets – Players who opt-in and choose their brackets before the playoffs start will have a chance to win prizes.

Hockey Promos ?

While NHL isn’t as popular as NBA for example, DraftKings still offers some promos on parlays, which is nice.

NHL 33% SGP / SGPx Boost promo – This is a 33% profit boost on any NHL Same Game Parlay or SGPx bets on the platform.

Refer a friend bonus – up to ten 100% profit boosts

DraftKings’ current friend referral program is for new users over the age of 21 located in NY state. If the referred friend deposits between $25 and $49, both you and the friend get two 100% profit boosts.

If the referred friend deposits between $50 and $99, you both receive five 100% profit boosts. If they deposit $100 or more, you each receive all ten profit boosts.

In the casino, referred friends and the referrer both get 100% in bonus funds of whatever amount they chose for their first deposit (max $150).

Daily Free Prizes

DraftKings often has some form of daily prize draw or bonus offers. At the moment, they’re offering up to $5,000 in prizes every day for players who pick the correct answers before the start of the featured MLB game of the day.

Safety and Trustworthiness – 5/5

DraftKings has a massive user base. It’s one of the most well-known sportsbooks out there, and for good reason. It’s totally legitimate, holds all necessary licenses, and protects players through top-notch security measures, including the latest SSL encryption and geolocation software.

DraftKings License

Before launching in New Jersey in 2018, DraftKings obtained a license from the New Jersey DGE (Division of Gaming Enforcement). This legitimate regulatory body and others like it in other states perform thorough inspections of all gaming and betting activities to ensure that fair gaming protocols are being followed.

DraftKings holds a license from a respected state regulator in every state it operates in. DraftKings also operates internationally according to the laws and regulations in each of the foreign countries it operates in.

DraftKings Reviews from real players

DraftKings has been around for over 12 years, and has been operating as a sportsbook for 6 years. That’s plenty of time for users around the nation and around the globe to make comments, post reviews, and give ratings of them.

To add some outside voices to my DraftKings sportsbook review 2024, here are comments from real customers who have made their assessment of DraftKings clear.

DraftKings Betting Markets – 4.8/5

DraftKings had all of the markets and bet types I was looking for. Being a huge men’s basketball fan, I found exactly what I wanted and felt the odds were often competitive, although not always the best.

The platform has a large variety of other sports and various bet types to pick from. Being as popular of a sportsbook as they are, you’d expect there to be something for everyone. While their selection isn’t totally comprehensive by any means, it covers all of the most popular markets and plenty of the less prominent ones.

Nice futures bets

I love the option to be able to place bets on somewhat random futures markets, like which team that has never won a championship can win first. These bets are some of my favorites because they’re really fun and can hit rather unexpectedly, which is a thrill. Most sites don’t offer a lot in terms of futures markets, so I really appreciate those that do.

Incredible range of prop bets

Like with the futures markets, having a huge range of prop bets makes things a lot more fun and interesting. I love player props and always keep an eye out for sites that offer a wide range of them. So DraftKings was really to my liking in this category.

Excellent market depth

For each sport, DraftKings has a very high amount of competitions and leagues available for each sport. It’s a much more comprehensive platform than some of its competitors. I liked being able to discover matches and leagues that I hadn’t heard of before.

All Sports Betting Markets

DraftKings offers a wide range of sports categories (20). This amount of variety is comparable to its competitors. The market depth can really give DraftKings the edge though in some cases.

Football Betting

I’m crazy about college football, so when September rolls around each year, I get extremely excited and start watching and listening to NCAAF sources carefully for hints at which teams and matchups offer the most value.

I like how DraftKings is well-equipped for not just NCAAF but NFL, XFL, CFL, and Aussie Rules football. I mostly just stick to my guns with either NCAAF or NFL, but it’s definitely nice to have the option.

Basketball Betting

March Madness is over, but the NBA Playoffs are right about to start. DraftKings has the promos needed and prop bets to have a lot of fun throughout the Playoffs and into the Finals. The site has excellent real-time betting that’s very responsible and smooth, so I can’t wait to try that out in key moments.

Hockey Betting

DraftKings hockey markets were fully equipped with everything I wanted and were ready for action. NHL season is well underway, and I liked the props and same game parlays I was able to bet on through the app.

DraftKings Casino Review

I found the casino to be very responsive and smooth running. I was fortunate that it works in my state, but apparently when I’m out of state, which I need to do somewhat often, I won’t be able to access it anymore. This isn’t the fault of DraftKings necessarily since regulations vary state to state, but it’s something to keep in mind.

The casino only works in the following states:

• Connecticut
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

Slot game selection

Right when I opened the casino, I was greeted by a huge range of slot titles to try. As I scrolled down, the list seemed almost endless. The site offers over 700 slots.

The gameplay was extremely enjoyable. I’ve played thousands of slots in my time, but hadn’t played in a while. The games at DraftKings casino were crisp, snappy, and had fun themes that reminded me why I like playing slots.

The site offers some of the most popular games like Cleopatra, and plenty of newer or lesser known titles that were fun to peruse.

Table Games

To my surprise, DraftKings has a pretty good range of table games. I wasn’t expecting too much in addition to the massive slot selection. However, I was able to play all of the following, including live dealer games:

• Craps
• Video poker
• Baccarat
• Keno
• Roulette

Overall, I really enjoyed exploring both DraftKings’ sports markets and their casino selection. There was enough in the casino to keep me engaged for a while, and plenty to look forward to in terms of sports betting markets as the current seasons unfold and various other sports’ seasons approach.

DraftKings App Review – 4.9/5

The mobile app is one of the areas where DraftKings truly shines. First of all, I love the dark mode. Some sportsbook apps don’t offer the option for dark mode. It’s much easier on the eyes, and after getting used to using dark mode all the time, it just feels better.

After being in business since 2012, DraftKings has learned a thing or two about how to offer a great in-app user experience. The app performs well and is responsive. I haven’t experienced any major bugs, freezes, or much lag at all for that matter.

DraftKings sportsbook app review – Interface & navigation

The interface is robust without being messy, and I like the layout of the menu buttons at the top. I love how you can view all markets for every matchup in one league. This is super handy, especially for prop bets.

The player props are well-organized within a particular game, which is ideal since I prefer not to sift through a long list to get what I’m looking for. The experience of building out an SGP could be a little more intuitive in my opinion, but that’s a minor criticism.

The search function works really well. I love being able to look up any player, game, or just about anything I want. That saves time, especially if something occurs to me while I’m busy and I want to place a quick bet before I forget.

App Store Ratings from Apple & Google Play Store

The app is quick and easy to install from either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. You can also download it directly from DraftKings’ website if you prefer.

I checked reviews on the app stores to better understand what people really think about the DraftKings sportsbook app. Here’s how they rated it.

How to download DraftKings app on iOS

If you live in an area where DraftKings isn’t supported, you’ll be able to install the app, but that’s about it. Be sure that online sports betting is legal where you live, and that you’re of legal age to partake.

1) Meet the Legal Requirements

You must eligible and located in one of the right states. In some states, the legal age to gamble is 18, and in others it’s 21. Check out the DraftKings Legal states list.

2) Search for DraftKings in the App Store

In the Apple app store, the app is called ‘DraftKings Sportsbook & Casino.’ Its developer is “DraftKings” so be sure you’re getting the official app.

3) Install It

Press ‘Get’ and double press the side button of your device to download and install.

4) Open the DraftKings App

Once it’s fully installed, you can open it straight from the app store page or through the icon on your device’s home screen.

5) Set up an account or log in

Log in if you’re an existing user. If it’s your first time, register for a new account, and follow the steps to complete the profile verification process. You will need to verify your location and identity.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the welcome bonus!

How to download DraftKings app on Android

As mentioned, the DraftKings app can only be used if you’re in a state that allows sports betting, so keep that in mind.

1) Meet the Age and Location Requirements

Check the legal age for sports betting in your state. It’s normally either 18 or 21. And make sure ‘Location Services’ is enabled on your phone.

2) Search for DraftKings in the Google Play Store

Launch the Google Play Store and search “DraftKings.” It's called ‘DraftKings Sportsbook & Casino,’ and it’s published by DraftKings Inc. Make sure you find the right one to avoid any bogus imitation apps.

3) Install it

Download the app, wait for it to install, and then open it either from the Play Store page or from your phone’s app library.

4) Register a New Account

Log in if you are a current user. If not, open a new account. Follow the instructions and provide the information the app requests (scanning photo ID, location verification).

Once your account is active, remember to take advantage of the first-deposit offer!

All DraftKings banking options

DraftKings has a nice range of payment options, including PayPal, which is convenient. I would have really liked it if they accepted crypto payments. Hopefully this will become the norm with sportsbooks someday.

With that said, DraftKings does have a respectable list of payment options, more still than some of its competitors.

Depositing on DraftKings – Overview

I was able to deposit in all of the ways I wanted to (other than crypto), and they were efficient and didn’t have any fees.

Withdrawing on DraftKings  – Overview

One of the things that stood out for me with DraftKings was the speed of withdrawals. With some sportsbooks, withdrawals can be painstakingly slow. The majority of DraftKings’ withdrawal options took around 1 or 2 business days. I often got my money sooner than I was expecting, which was a nice surprise.

There’s also the option to withdraw in person at a physical sportsbook if there’s one near you. This is nice if you prefer to withdraw actual cash.

DraftKings Customer Support – 4.5/5

While writing my DraftKings sportsbook review, I made sure to check each of the forms of customer support and take note of how fast I received a reply and the quality of the responses.

I wasn’t disappointed. Their support replied quickly and demonstrated a willingness to help, even when I asked them to explain things that I felt were totally obvious. I did this to test their patience a bit, and they performed very well overall.

The live chat is available 24/7, and they have an option for callback if you prefer to talk to someone on the phone. I would have liked to have a direct contact number, but the callback was good enough.

• ? Phone: Callback option through website chatbot
• ✉️ Email: [email protected]
• ? FAQ: Help Center
• ? Twitter (X): @DKSportsbook
• ? Live chat: 24/7 (registered users only)

Responsible Gambling

Online gambling is supposed to be for enjoyment, not a financial liability. Never chase losses to try to get even. If you feel that your spending has gotten out of control or poses a risk, seek help immediately.

The NCPG offers free assistance to anyone in need, regardless of which state you’re in. Visit their website or call their hotline:

• National Council on Problem Gambling
• Phone: 202-547-9204
• Email: [email protected]