DraftKings Targets World Cup Betting Boom With Alberta Sportsbook Launch

DraftKings confirmed this morning (July 9) that it will launch its online sportsbook and casino platform in Alberta when that market goes live Monday (July 13), along with its Golden Nugget Online Gaming brand.

Getting out the door on Day 1 is critical from a customer acquisition perspective, being in a position to capitalize on the immense popularity and buzz surrounding the World Cup and record handle being reported by sportsbook operators across the continent, said Greg Karamitis, DraftKings’ Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports. 

Day 1 Matters Most

“Every sports moment is a moment that people want to be able to engage with the platform, and it’s critical for us to be there for those moments,” he said.

In advance of the market launch, DraftKings will be hosting a watch party on Saturday (July 11) at the Wildhorse Saloon in Calgary, part of a series of World Cup watch parties the company has hosted in Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Hoboken. Saturday is a busy day on the World Cup schedule, with Norway playing England followed by Argentina playing Switzerland in quarter-final matches. 

The World Cup semi-finals get going Tuesday (July 14), when Albertans can start making actual bets on regulated sites. 

Calgary Watch Party

“Even with Canada getting knocked out, there’s so much enthusiasm right now, and missing these windows where you can give fans a great experience in any given sports moment would be a miss for us,” he said. 

“You want to be one of the first ones out there that people can experience, so that people can see how good we are, especially if they sample some others. I feel like when customers try multiple offerings, they tend to come back to us because of the quality of the offering. We know that people are going to want to bet in this window.”

World Cup Driving Demand

As of this morning, according to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), 49 operators had successfully completed the registration process and paid their fees. 

Those companies still need to finish off the dual-step process with Alberta iGaming Corporation (AIGC) to be ready to go live Monday.

FanDuel also announced yesterday (July 8) that it will be going live Monday.

Ontario Lessons Learned

In an interview with Casino.org yesterday, Karamitis said the key in separating from other operators in a market as robust as the one in Alberta will be understanding the local environment, especially on the sports side. 

That’s the No. 1 lesson they pulled out of Ontario, where they launched in 2022, he added. DraftKings hadn’t operated out of the U.S. at that point, and in those early days they missed out on the Toronto Maple Leafs as a prominent offering, he said.

“So in every jurisdiction we’re in, our sports offering is going to be super authentic and absolutely top tier,” he said.

Building Alberta Connections

Karamitis said Alberta has a “really strong sports culture”. DraftKings has made a “ton of investments” on their sports betting product, especially with hockey. 

As an example, Karamitis, an American based in Boston, referenced the Edmonton Oilers specifically, talking about the injuries the team suffered last season, and while there was disappointment, where they got knocked out of the playoffs early, “they are still in their [Stanley Cup] window right now”, led by Connor McDavid.

That’s an enthusiasm DraftKings will tap into with their market offerings. He also referenced a focus they’ll need to take on the Canadian Football League (CFL), with teams in Edmonton and Calgary, tied to the popularity of the CFL across Canada’s western provinces.

Live Betting Differentiation

“We will have to earn the respect of the customers in the territory,” said Karamitis. 

Alberta will be the second Canadian province and 34^th jurisdiction across North America where DraftKings Sportsbook is available. Along with the two Canadian provinces, DraftKings Casino is available in five U.S. states and Golden Nugget Online Gaming casino in four U.S. states.

Licensed operators in Alberta won’t be able to advertise bonus and inducements, but once a patron signs up for the DraftKings platform, in this case, the focus will be on making sure that person is in touch with ebbs and flows of a game in real time. 

Customer Experience Focus

Karamitis touched on what happened during the Argentina versus Egypt Round of 16 match on Tuesday (July 7), which Argentina won 3-2 after a late tying goal by Lionel Messi, then the winner by Enzo Fernandez, after being down 2-0.

“That game was wild, and anyone that follows sports knows it,” he said. “You don’t want to be just putting up a moneyline then that’s it. You want to be tapping into the fact Egypt was up 1-0, then 2-0, then you felt the surge of Argentina, with the momentum then shifting their way.

“I was actually texting within the office at that point, saying meetings are cancelled, we’re watching the rest of this. Could Egypt hold on? You want to reflect that in your offering on the site.”

Expansion Beyond Alberta

Text messages sent to the bettor’s phone as a big sporting event is playing out, with the site reflecting the authenticity of what’s going on, what people are talking about, in real time, will be the difference-maker for sportsbook operators in Alberta, Karamitis said. That means speed in keeping markets up to date, along with social features that brings the community together.

“There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to make a bet, opening up the app, and having the markets grayed out because they’re suspended,” he said.

There is lots of chatter in Canada now about the next province that will follow Ontario and Alberta, opening up their igaming market to private operators, to compete with government-run crown corporations. Karamitis said they are taking it one step at a time.

“You’ll continue to see regulations emerging, new territories and new states opening up, and we’ll continue to look to expand into them along the way,” he said.