NY Draftkings Sportsbook Review

A host of sportsbooks are on the NY sports betting market, and the powerhouse that is DraftKings is one of these sportsbooks. If you’ve been wondering if it can be the new online betting destination for New York bettors, then we’ve got you covered with this comprehensive NY Draftkings sportsbook review.

What we like about Draftkings sportsbook NY

• Solid user ratings on both iOS and Android playstores
• Beginner-friendly website design and logic
• Responsible gambling resources prominently featured

What could improve about Draftkings sportsbook NY

• The mobile sports betting app is not the fastest around
• The welcome bonus terms are too convoluted
• Withdrawal processing times are not optimal

Our Rating: 4.7/5

Draftkings NY Launch

Draftkings NY launch date: January 8, 2022. Draftkings was already a popular name in the New York sports culture, with their daily fantasy offering probably the most popular of everything on their portfolio. In January 2022, they became one of three NY sportsbooks to launch on January 8, making them part of the first wave of New York sports betting online.

In their official launch release, Draftkings sportsbook NY referred to their parent company – which is listed on the NASDAQ exchange – as “the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator”. Their presence in this space is ubiquitous, with their services active in 17 countries worldwide since their launch in 2012.

Draftkings sportsbook said their New York betting entry would provide “thousands of sporting events including pre-match and in-game markets. This includes same game parlays and micro-betting”, which is an outcome of their partnership with SimpleBet. In this Draftkings sportsbook review, our researchers dug in to examine some of these claims and how they’ve been executed.

Is Draftkings legal In NY?

Draftkings sportsbook and the Draftkings NY app are a fully legal and licensed to operate in New York. Their license to operate in the sports betting sphere was bestowed upon them by the New York State Gaming Commission, which is the regulatoy authority that oversees all services and platforms that operate at the intersection of gaming and entertainment.

The New York State Gaming Commission is therefore the authority that guards uses against unfair treatment, fraud, data theft, gambling problems, and anything to do with the safety and welfare of paying customers. This is the vital clue – the license on the website – when assessing sports betting apps and the like, and the Draftkings sportsbook app and website will both show you this information. The only exception on the NY Draftkings sportsbook is that you cannot be on New York college sports.

It was the NYSGC, in fact, that had approved Draftkings to open up their New York sportsbook, putting them on the list of nine sportsbooks that had been put through a fit-and-proper test before being given the green signal to begin the New York online sports betting revolution.

Before online betting became legal in New York, the precedent had to be set in 2018, when the US Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting. This was limited to in-person betting at casinos and retail sportsbooks. Draftkings themselves had opened a retail sportsbook in Waterloo, NY at the del Lago Resort and Casino.

Since then, with support from the New York state senate, several bills have been passed that make online sports betting completely legal in New York. In fact, there are bills is in the making that are set to increase the number of NY sportsbooks to “no fewer than 14 by Jan 31, 2023”, which is a pretty strong endorsement by the state of New York.

In Which States Is Draftkings Sportsbook Legal?

As of March 2022, Draftkings sportsbook is legal for people who are physically present in the following states:

Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

One look at the legal states section on the Draftkings NY app or website will show you that they are intent on growing to even more states across the USA. We get this feeling because there are clearly marked states where Draftkings sportsbook is illegal, and a lot of them have buttons for users to contact their lawmakers to try and change that. This is pretty bold and confident design, in our view.

Draftkings Sportsbook App And Website Features

Cash-out option

This one is a must-have feature that we look for when reviewing sportsbooks, and Draftkings sportsbook NY passes this test. The reason we consider this a vital feature is because there are going to be plenty of new sports bettors coming into the market, who don’t have the experience to be disciplined about their betting. More experienced users of online sports betting will know how important discipline is, particularly with knowing when to cut your losses.

Draftkings NY provides this option on a variety of bets and makes the option easy to find on your betslip. For those unfamiliar with the feature – if you think one of your bets is about to lose before it is time for the desired outcome, then you can use the cash-out option to exit that active bet.

This serves in cutting your losses, as you will typically be refunded a decent portion of your original stake that you can then use on another bet somewhere to try and boost your pot recovery. Of course, this works two ways in terms of betting discipline – if you’re unsure and still opt to cash out prematurely because of nerves, you might end up regretting it if your original outcome does end up coming into place. So it’s a handy feature, but one you must learn how to use well.

In-Play Live Streaming

Live streaming is a hard nut to crack thanks to all the rights-based regulations that can get in the way. It is also an expensive endeavor and one that requires a good quality tech team. Draftkings NY handles all of that with some panache and provides a smooth live streaming and in-play betting feature. This is a feature that is not available on all betting sites in NY, but it is something that helps DraftKings stand out from the competition.

Like the name suggests, it involves watching along with a stream, while getting a whole variety of bets you can place on the match. This feature is available on the Draftkings NY app, which we found to be the most useful platform on which to use the feature – simply because of the speed at which you can place live bets.

In terms of sports coverage, you will not see the major sports leagues for the reasons mentioned above, but Draftkings sportsbook app does manage to squeeze in a variety of low-reputation leagues and niche sports from around the world. If you’re adept at analyzing patterns of play and making bets based on those, you don’t really need to know the players or teams in question to take some decent rewards. Where streaming isn’t available, Draftkings NY will offer play-by-play updates, which can be extremly useful during online sports betting.

Boosted Odds

One of the most commonly searched terms in the online sports betting world is the promo code for every sportsbook in New York. While this is a great one-time bonus to seek out at the start of your involvement with a particular sportsbook, it isn’t something that will necessarily bring you long-term benefits or gains beyond a point. That is why regular odds boosts are extremely important to beat competitors.

This was a pretty prominent feature on Draftkings sportsbook NY when we reviewed it, particularly with major sports like baseball and UFC that came with 25% boosts on either the odds or on the profits. There are ongoing promotions like this regularly on the platform, with a new one popping up almost every week. The boosts are generally in the 20-25% range, which is a handy bonus to pick up.

Same Game Parlays

If you’re unaware about the concept of parlay bets, it is a betting format where you string together a number of different bets in order to boost your eventual payout, with the caveat that all of them must win for you to book your winnings. Same game parlays refer to this betting format and – like the name suggests – they must all be part of the same game. Draftkings sportsbook NY offers same game parlays and even boosts some of them up to a 100% bonus on occasion.

The process of placing a same game parlay is simple on Draftkings NY, and this is a big plus for them in our book. You simply pick all the bets you want from the match, and the betslip’s parlay section will tell you which of those are compatible and can be strung together to increase your eventual odds.

Draftkings sportsbook casino

Apart from offering all the traditional sports betting options on its platform, Draftkings sportsbook has a thriving casino feature on its platform as well. The selections available for those who want to take in a virtual casino experience are pretty well thought-out. You get to play blackjack, roulette, a vast selection of table games, slots, and video poker among many other offerings. All of these are available through the Draftkings app.

Draftkings Sportsbook NY Website Experience

On first glance, the Draftkings sportsbook website can be a bit of an intimidating viewing experience. The color scheme uses a dark them with green and white accent colors, which by themselves are a decent combination, but can cause readability issues because of how cluttered the home page looks. The first view for a new bettor does not feel very inviting because of how much information you’re met with and the contrasts don’t really work.

On the other hand, their selection of featured bets is prominently visible on the middle river of the website, which is flanked by the sports filters on the left and the betslip on the right. This interface will take a little getting used to but is a smooth experience once you do. A plus is the fact that the promos and the responsible gambling sections are easy to locate, while a little question mark hovering icon on the bottom right gives a decent quick guide to placing bets on the platform.

What we liked about the Draftkings sportsbook New York website:

• Betslip is very prominently visible
• Placing bets follows a nice logical path and involves few clicks
• Responsible gambling resources prominently featured at the top of the site

What could be better about the Draftkings sportsbook New York website:

• The color scheme is not very easy on the eyes when you’re trying to locate information
• The list of sports is a long one that requires a lot of scrolling
• The home page can feel very cluttered

Draftkings NY App Experience

The Draftkings NY app has quickly become a fan favorite. As of early April, about under three months since their launch, the Draftkings sportsbook app, which offers casino services as well, had racked up a stunning 4.8 star rating on the iOS app store from over 300k reviews. That is an indication of both how good the app experience has been, and of just how many people use the app. The broad-based average number of users who review apps is never greater than 2%. On the PlayStore, their Android app was rated 4.6 after 18k reviews.

As for the experience, it hits most expectations. It is not the fastest New York sports betting app on the market at the time of our review, and we can say with some certainty that their website experience is much faster. Having said, the uniformity of the interface across website and app is pretty solid, and their geolocator is top notch. Most New York bettors know that geolocation is a big part of the sports betting experience at the moment, thanks to all the legal hoops, and can be a bit of a bummer. Draftkings sportsbook app makes that process nice and smooth.

What we liked about the Draftkings New York app:

• Retains the interface and logic of the website
• Geolocation step is very smooth
• Well received by both iOS and Android users

What could be better about the Draftkings New York app:

• Bet placement time can be improved
• Design leans more towards beginners than experienced bettors

Draftkings NY Promo Code And Other Offers

The beauty of the Draftkings NY sign up bonus is that you do not require an additional promo code to cash in on it. We’re big fans of how simple it is. Let’s take a look at how this promotion works, alongside the other promos they offer.

Draftkings New York Promo Code Free $1,000 Deposit Bonus

This is the primary promotional offering that you will encounter on the Draftkings New York sportsbook. It is simple to activate – all you have to do is register on the platform, make a minimum deposit of $5 and you will have unlocked the deposit bonus.

The catch with the Draftkings NY sign up bonus is that your deposits are only matched up to 20%. So you will have to make an initial deposit of $5,000 to enjoy the full extent of your $1,000 deposit bonus. Even if you end up doing that, the terms and conditions appear to require a 25x rollover requirement. From our understanding, you’d get a dollar in your account for every $25 that you wager, which is a pretty steep price for a bonus.

To reiterate – there is no Draftkings NY promo code required to unlock this bonus.

Draftkings Sportsbook Refer A Friend Promo

Of all the promos available on Draftkings sportsbook new york, this one seems to be the most rewarding one. This makes sense given how the online sports betting market in New York is still in its early days, and onboarding more users in the face of competition is important.

If you refer a friend, based on their first deposit, you stand to win up to a $100 free bet. You will be given a referral link with which your friend will have to sign up on the platform. They must make a minimum deposit of $25 once they’ve signed up.

If the deposit is between $25 and $49, you and your friend will both receive one $25 free bet. If the deposit is between $50 and $99, you will both receive singular free bets of a $50 value. If the deposit is over $100, then you will both receiver one $100 free bet each. These free bets must be used within 7 days.

What Kind Of Bets Are Available At Draftkings Sportsbook New York?

Straight Bets

The most popular bets used used on Draftkings NY are straight bets. These are the simplest ones to place, particularly for beginners, as they involve fixed odds, and involve simple outcomes like who is going to win, whether the score will be over/under a certain number, and so on.

Prop Bets

Prop bets are more granular than straight bets, and based on propositions – which is where the name comes from. A proposition can be something like Lionel Messi to get a yellow card in the second half, or Rafael Nadal to have more than three aces in the third set. These events are generally small ones inside a match that may not necessarily affect the outcome.

Round Robin Bets

This is a pretty straightforward one to understand and use for anyone who is familiar with the general concept of round robins. It is applied to three-leg parlay bets. Where generally you need all bets in a parlay to win for you to get a payout, you only need two out of your three parlay bets to win to pick up a payout in the round robin format.

Futures Bets

The futures bets, much like the futures markets in the economic world, are bets placed on the macro view of a sports season. This involves betting on the team that you think will end up with the title, or a team that will make the playoffs spot, or the player you think could be MVP at the end of the season. They’re available for long periods – generally from pre-season, all the way till the last day.

Draftkings NY Sportsbook: List Of Sports

While some of the new New York sportsbooks have a distinctly American flavor to them in terms of the sports available to bet on, New York sports betting with Draftsking is a more global affair. We mentioned obscure sports from around the world earlier in this review, but those complement some of the major sports and leagues around the world. Here is a list of sports you can place bets on with the Draftkings NY app:

• NFL Football
• NCAA Football
• NBA Basketball
• NCAA Basketball
• NHL Hockey
• NCAA Hockey
• MLB Baseball
• NCAA Baseball
• Boxing
• Darts
• Golf
• MMA
• Racing
• Soccer
• Tennis
• WWE

Draftkings Sportsbook NY Deposit And Withdrawal Methods

Draftkings sportsbook NY is fully licensed and regulated as per the New York State Gaming Commission. This means a whole set of protections and safety nets for your transactions at an enforcement level, which means complete legal protections in case it is ever required.

Deposit Methods

All deposits are instant and free. Minimum deposit amount is $5.

• Wire transfer
• Visa
• Mastercard
• PayPal
• Play+ Prepaid Card
• PlayNearMe
• Cash at Draftkings casino cages and physical sportsbook outlets

Withdrawal Methods

While there is a decent variety of withdrawal options, most of them involve a 3-5 day processing time, which can be a bit of a bummer.

• Wire transfer
• Play+ Prepaid Card
• Paypal
• In-mail check
• Cash at Draftkings casino cages and physical sportsbook outlets

How To Make A Draftkings Sportsbook Account

There is no excuse these days for the sign-up process to be a difficult job. While the Draftkings NY sign up bonus can feel a little convoluted, getting on to the platform to create a Draftkings sportsbook account itself is plain and simple. It is pretty straightforward and shouldn’t cause issues to anyone who has been on the internet and used literally any other service.

1. When you get on the Draftkings sportsbook website or the app, you will see either two or three options. These options will be their daily fantasy sports platform, their casino-only platform, and the Draftkings NY betting platforms. In essence, this is an anchor page from which you can choose which of their services you are here for. In this case, you will have to click the green colored ‘Join Sportsbook’ button.
2. In the next step, you will be prompted to pick a username and password, enter the email ID your account will be associated with, and confirm that you are at least 21 years old.
3. From there, the data you provide will get a little more personal. But do not worry about that as Draftkings New York have to adhere to all data protection and privacy laws that are relevant to New York and have heavy fines if they do not. Your date of birth, home address, and the last four digits of your SSN are some of the data points they will collect. This is important particularly for the withdrawal process.
4. At some point in this process, you will be prompted to verify your location through their geolocator service. When that and all of the above steps are done, you are ready to make your initial deposit and begin using Draftkings New York Sportsbook.

Draftkings Sportsbook NY FAQs