DraftKings last week announced two new deals that increases the company’s dominance in the sports betting field.
On November 17, DraftKings revealed a deal to become the official sports betting, iGaming, DFS and free-to-play partner of FaZe Clan, a leading gaming, lifestyle and media platform.
Upcoming content activations will feature several of FaZe Clan’s biggest content creators, including FaZe Adapt, FaZe Temperrr, FaZe Nate Hill, FaZe Swagg, Nuke Squad and more.
“FaZe Clan is a juggernaut of internet engagement and culture, built from the ground up into one of the most influential esports and content organizations in the world,” said Matt Kalish, co-founder and president of DraftKings North America. “The strong crossover between DraftKings customers and FaZe’s tens of millions of viewers and followers made this a natural alliance, and we hope to create excitement, competition, and community around sports and video games for adult audiences everywhere we operate.”
As part of the deal, DraftKings will appear across FaZe’s digital content ecosystem including custom content, livestream and tournament events, plus new IP and formats highlighted by original series and a new planned podcast.
Also, DraftKings will have a presence at upcoming FaZe Clan events. The deal will bring unique experiences and offerings for DraftKings customers and FaZe Clan fans alike, including custom contests, pools and tournaments, merchandise and more. Additionally, FaZe Clan will work alongside DraftKings to develop educational content that raises awareness for responsible gaming.
The deal will also increase DraftKings’ presence in esports, making it the official sponsor of FaZe Clan’s Counter-Strike esports team. To date, DraftKings offers esports daily fantasy contests ranging across Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, League of Legends, Rocket League and Valorant. As the official sponsor of FaZe Clan’s Counter-Strike team, DraftKings will have logo placement on team jerseys and additional placements on team and player official channels as well as content.
“We are committed to delivering content we know our fans are passionate about,” says FaZe Clan CEO Lee Trink. “The DraftKings deal is a natural move for FaZe Clan as our members and fans are avid followers of traditional sports, and this gives us the opportunity to further propel our talent and brand into the mainstream. Both brands also share an important vision of being at the forefront of internet culture and we believe this partnership marks an important cultural crossover moment for the future of sports and entertainment.”
On November 16, DraftKings announced a collaboration with BHCMC LLC, a subsidiary of Butler National Corp., manager of Boot Hill Casino & Resort, to enter the Kansas sports betting market. The deal is subject to sports betting legislation and regulations, and the receipt of all applicable licenses and approvals. The hat could bring the top-rated mobile Sportsbook to sports fans in the state of Kansas.
“As we continue our quest to expand our mobile sportsbook footprint to every state in the U.S., we are eager to begin working with Boot Hill Casino & Resort,” said Jeremy Elbaum, senior vice president pf business development for DraftKings. “We look forward to the opportunities that lay ahead and remain optimistic that Kansas lawmakers will enact common sense legislation that will benefit the state and its constituents.”
Currently, DraftKings offers sports wagering options and online casino games in 18 states. In addition to its millions of daily fantasy sports contests offered every year, DraftKings Marketplace launched in August, giving sports and entertainment fans mainstream the ability to collect NFTs from star athletes and Hollywood blockbusters.
“As manager for Boot Hill Casino & Resort for the Kansas Lottery, we are pleased to work with DraftKings to bring first in class mobile sportsbook to Kansas,” said Clark Stewart, Boot Hill CEO. “DraftKings is a leader in this fast growing industry and will bring a trusted, experienced mobile sports betting application to sports fans in Kansas, when the law allows.”
According to local media, DraftKings hopes the state will legalize sports wagering during next year’s legislative session that starts in January.
“We have been excited about there being the opportunity for sports wagering in the state of Kansas,” said Kansas Rep. Bradley Ralph, a Dodge City Republican.
The DraftKings deal “would be a plus for Boot Hill Casino & Resort and it would be a plus for the local community, Dodge City and Ford County,” Ralph said. “We have always been very welcoming to Boot Hill. They are a great corporate citizen out here and anything that would further our business would be a huge plus for us in the Dodge City community.”
Kansas lawmakers made progress on sports betting legalization in 2021, but weren’t able to get a bill through to Governor Laura Kelly. There’s optimism for that happening in the upcoming legislative session.
“I was hoping for that last year and we hit a couple of hang-ups with the legislation that came out of the House side, but I’m optimistic,” Ralph said. “I think it is one of those issues with circumstance that everybody would like to see that gets done. Sometimes the devil is just in some of the details, but I think we can get there.”
Sports betting is currently legal in 29 states.
