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If online gambling is something you’re interested in, DraftKings Casino is well worth looking into.
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Online gambling and gaming have grown steadily in popularity in the past decade. While many mobile apps and websites exist to bet and win real money, DraftKings is undoubtedly a household name in the online gambling scene.
Known primarily for sports betting via daily fantasy sports contests and its DraftKings Sportsbook platform, DraftKings also offers casino gaming to a small number of states in the US. You can partake in DraftKings' casino offerings if you live in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or Connecticut. Learn more about how DraftKings Casino works and whether or not it’s a good fit for you in this review of the website and mobile app.
In this article
What is DraftKings Casino?
DraftKings offers daily fantasy games and its Sportsbook for sports gambling, with live casino games being a bit of an extension of the brand. Founded in 2012 by Jason Robins, Paul Liberman, and Matthew Kalish, DraftKings is one of the most recognizable sports betting sites. Like its fantasy offerings, DraftKings Casino offers various casino options, such as Blackjack, slot machines, and video poker, with live online dealers.
DraftKings has also built a reputation for having solid welcome bonuses for new players, and its casino bonuses are no different. Its deposit bonus allows you to get up to $2,000 when you open your account and make your first deposit. Every bet you place within DraftKings’ ecosystem also earns you Crowns. These Crowns can be redeemed for free credits, DraftKings dollars, and other prizes.
Registering for any DraftKings platform involves the same process since you’ll use the same account to play games or place bets in DraftKings Fantasy, SportsBook, or Casino. Registration is fast and straightforward. First, navigate to DraftKings’ website and click the Sign-Up button. After clicking this button, you’ll go to the sign-up form to add your personal information and create your account.
Once you’ve created your account, you’ll verify your identity. Since different states have different laws and regulations on online gambling and betting, you must prove your age and residency when creating your account. This involves providing your first and last name, address, birth date, and last digits of your SSN.
Depending on whether or not DraftKings can immediately identify you, you might need to verify your account and identity with a few extra steps. These steps don’t mean you won’t be able to play or use the platform; they’re just to ensure you abide by local laws and DraftKings’ terms of service. You only need to scan your driver’s license or state ID for automated approval.
After you’ve confirmed your identity, you’ll also need to re-confirm your location. This will help ensure you’re participating properly on the platform and maintaining game integrity.
While confirming your identity might sound like it takes a lot of steps, it goes by quite quickly. Once account creation is complete, you can add funds and compete in various online casino games!
How much does DraftKings Casino cost?
While DraftKings Casino offers a free demo area to get used to wagering and the rest of the user interface, you probably aren’t interested in DraftKings unless you’re willing to put your money where your mouth is. So, how much does DraftKings Casino cost?
Depending on your skill at casino games, it’s theoretically possible to use your free credits. However, the likelihood is that you’ll need to deposit at least a little bit of money now and then rather than relying on free spins. Thankfully, new customers get a deposit match on their first deposit. Plus, you can even get free play from a no-deposit welcome bonus.
First deposit match
If you want to make the most of your time with DraftKings Casino (and have the money to gamble), you’ll be excited to hear that DraftKings offers a 100% match on first deposits up to $2,000. The minimum amount you can deposit to get this match is $5.
Note that you do need to rack up at least 10 playthroughs before you can start withdrawing your winnings from this bonus. That’s not a difficult feat, especially because you can opt into games with much lower waging requirements if that’s more your speed.
If wagering in-game isn’t enough fun for you, casino players also have the opportunity to enter free leaderboard contests to win extra prizes. These tournaments vary weekly but always have something for casino players regardless of their preferred game.
Games
DraftKings Casino offers table and slot games totaling over 500 titles. Popular games included in DraftKings Casino include Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, and live video poker with games like Ten Play Draw. The most robust array of games is the slot machines, which come in various flavors and themes, including Cats and Bonanza.
For fans of Blackjack, hot streaks will be of particular interest. With Hot Streaks, you’re rewarded for a streak of consecutive wins where you meet a minimum bet of $5. While the top players get the biggest prizes, if your Hot Streak is close to the winning length, you may still be able to cash in on a decent prize pool.
Deposit methods
DraftKings makes it easy to deposit money into your account and get playing. Currently, they accept the following forms of payment:
Visa/MasterCard/Discover/American Express
PayPal
Online banking
Gift card
Cash at a casino cage (New Jersey residents only)
Wire transfer
Withdrawal methods
Withdrawal through DraftKings is very straightforward and has a few different options. The most common withdrawal methods include:
Online banking
PayPal
Check
Wire transfer
Who is DraftKings Casino best for?
Live poker fans. If you love playing poker and enjoy playing against real players for real money, DraftKings Casino is a great option. Especially considering its welcome bonuses, competent players can do pretty well for themselves while playing poker on DraftKings Casino.
People who don’t live near a casino. While live poker is fun online or in person, I have to be honest and say that something feels like a ripoff when we’re talking about virtual slot machines. If you don’t live near a casino, you might have a good time with some of DraftKings Casino’s roulette tables and slots; however, this wouldn’t be a big draw for me.
People looking to make money. While DraftKings makes it pretty easy to cash out, you shouldn’t expect to hit the jackpot while playing games on DraftKings Casino. If you’re looking for a real source of income, becoming an elite poker or blackjack player online is probably not the wisest decision.
Individuals with gambling problems. It can’t be overstated enough: gambling can quickly become a serious problem. There’s a reason that DraftKings includes the gambling help hotline in various places on its website. Especially with how easy the internet and apps make it to fund your account, it’s essential to know your limits before signing up for an account and chasing the welcome bonuses and other promotions.
Pros and cons
Pros
Desktop and mobile app. Whether you’re using an Android phone, iPhone or iPad running iOS, or a desktop computer, you’ll be able to have a great user experience playing online casino games on the device of your choice.
Wagers are fairly priced. You can find a variety of wager minimums when exploring tabletop games and slots in DraftKings Casino, making it easy to find a game that fits your speed (and budget).
Live poker options. If you like the thrill of competing with actual opponents, you’ll love the live poker options and real stakes of playing Texas Hold ‘Em and other poker variants on DraftKings Casino.
Free demos. An online casino is different from the real thing, which can come with a learning curve. Thankfully, there are free demo games to catch your footing before you start to bet.
Cons
Limited number of states where it’s legal. You’ll only be able to use the DraftKings Casino app if you live in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, or West Virginia.
The game library has a heavy focus on slots. Of the 500 games in DraftKings Casino’s games library, most of those titles are dedicated to slots. Even more, variety would be appreciated, especially considering that virtual slot machines leave a little something to be desired in my book.
Welcome bonus incentivizes larger deposits. This is both a pro and a con. The welcome bonus is excellent if you have the money to deposit $2,000 for a $2,000 match. However, that also means you’re being incentivized to potentially overstretch your finances just to get the best deal when setting up your account.
FanDuel is DraftKings’ main competitor, so they offer casino games, unsurprisingly. However, in a head-to-head comparison, you certainly get more value from a DraftKings Casino account than a FanDuel Casino account. With a higher minimum deposit, higher minimum withdrawal, and an objectively worse welcome bonus, DraftKings Casino is a much more promising option for online gambling.
IGT
IGT is a bit unique, as it is one of the largest gaming technology companies in the world. It created its first video poker machine in 1979. IGT licenses many of its games to other online casinos, which build upon the IGT product to form its destination for online gambling. As a result, minimum deposits and welcome bonuses can vary from platform to platform. Some top online casinos leveraging IGT’s intellectual property and technology include LeoVegas, Mr. Green, 888Casino, and NextCasino. The user experience can vary from website/app to website/app. However, opting for a destination like DraftKings or FanDuel might be wiser unless you’re a big fan of one of IGT’s properties.
FAQs
What states is DraftKings Casino legal in?
Unlike DraftKings Fantasy or SportsBook, there are far fewer states where it’s legal to play online casino games. As a result, you’ll only be able to play DraftKings Casino if you reside in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, or Connecticut.
How old do you have to be to use DraftKings Casino?
DraftKings Casino requires users to be at least 21 years of age or older to play its online casino games.
Does DraftKings Casino teach you how to play certain games?
Yes! DraftKings Casino has a dedicated “How to Play” section on its website. This area features video tutorials, how-to videos, and even articles on strategy and gambling.
The bottom line
If online gambling is something you’re interested in, DraftKings Casino is well worth looking into. Thanks to various bonus codes, promo codes, and welcome bonuses, getting started without putting too much skin in the game is easy. Especially if you don’t live near a live casino but love playing live dealer games or online slots with actual payouts, DraftKings Casino may be a good fit for you.
Of course, it’s important to gamble responsibly. Especially with how shiny and easy-to-use DraftKings’ website and app are, it can be easy to go deeper than anticipated. Make sure you’re never gambling money you can’t afford to lose, and if you really like casino games, it’s best to set a weekly or monthly budget or other parameters around when you withdraw your winnings. Online gambling can be a lot of fun — and features such as DraftKings Casino’s leaderboard and hot streaks add to the fun — but it can also become a problem without clear intentions and strong will.
While it’s unlikely you’ll get rich overnight while playing casino games through DraftKings, you’ll certainly have a good time, thanks to the company's care for its design and features.
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Brent Ervin-Eickhoff is a Chicago-based writer, stage director, and filmmaker with a background in digital marketing and content creation. In addition to Joy Wallet, Brent has written for Complex, Volkswagen, HowlRound, Picture this Post, and Third Coast Review, among others. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Marketing for Content Creation at Court Theatre at the University of Chicago. Brent graduated from Ball State University with Academic Honors in Writing.
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