DraftKings, one of the earliest gaming operators to open a sportsbook in New Jersey and the current market leader in that state, has selected Mississippi as the site for its 2nd sportsbook.
Only this one will not be accessible via the internet as is its highly successful New Jersey operation, this because Mississippi state laws only allow sports betting to take place at land-based gaming institutions and strictly forbids online gambling.
DraftKings, already a Daily Fantasy Sports giant with something like 9 million registered DSF members across the US when it opened its New Jersey sports book in early August, announced this week that it had been given a license by the Mississippi Gaming Commission and had cut a deal with the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Urbervilles to officially open a sportsbook at the Casino in the near future.
Making the announcement, Matt Kalish, the Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of DraftKings said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, whose leadership has a high bar for quality and a forward-thinking approach to sports betting. It’s a perfect fit for DraftKings,”
“We’re excited to be bringing and offering an innovative sports betting experience to sports fans in one of the largest and most competitive gaming markets in the U.S.”
When it opens soon in Mississippi, DraftKings who currently head FanDuel and PlaySugarhouse in the bustling New Jersey race for sports betting market share will have just three betting windows open at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort.
In the future, they plan to install an on-site mobile sports betting app at the Casino as well as sports betting kiosks.
Nicholas Sfanos, who previously ran sportsbooks for Station Casinos throughout Nevada, is reported to be directing operations for DraftKings in Mississippi