Interactive

US – Draftkings pens agreement with Drone Racing League

By Lewis - 11 January 2021

The Drone Racing League (DRL), the professional drone racing property, has signed a deal with DraftKings to make the sports technology and entertainment company an Official Sports Betting Partner of DRL.

Upon completion of the deal, DRL drone races became the first aerial sporting event upon which fans can wager. Mobile sports betting on DRL drone races is currently legal in Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee and West Virginia with regulatory approvals pending in additional states.

“The sky is now the limit for DRL fans to get skin in the game, and we’re thrilled to partner with DraftKings to transform our high-speed race competition into the ultimate sport to bet on,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson. “The opportunity for us to elevate our engagement through all forms of gaming and gambling will only increase as mobile betting becomes more adopted across the country.”

DraftKings research indicates drone racing fans are three times more likely to place a bet than fans of major sports leagues and 90 per cent more likely to be interested in sports betting than the average global sports fan.

After initially introducing DRL drone races to customers as a free-to-play pool during the 2020 season, DraftKings saw over 30 per cent more entries in its first week than the average for new sports, totalling over 150,000 entries to date.

This deal gives DraftKings exclusive marketing rights around sports betting and branding integrations, including custom gates. Both pre-race wagers and in-race live bets will be available for fans in approved states to engage before and during the high-flying action.

“DRL is scaling their business as fast as their drone races, and we’re excited to be flying with them given DRL’s thrilling, innovative racing events are perfect for the customized wagering offerings we can create,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer, DraftKings.

“Our expertise in sports betting combined with DRL’s stats-packed competition will make this a fun and seamless opportunity to engage their avid audience along with tech-savvy, adrenaline-loving sports fans.”