BetMGM vs DraftKings: Determining The Better Sportsbook

Richard Janvrin
By:
Richard Janvrin
Worth Reading
BetMGM vs DraftKings
BetMGM vs DraftKings
BetMGM Sportsbook
FIRST BET OFFER $1,500

New players only | 21+ | Must bet $10+ | Paid in Bonus Bets | Bonus Bets expire in 7 days | Bonus Bets not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Fact Checked and on Updated March 2024 by: Michael Savio

DraftKings and BetMGM Sportsbook are two of the most well-known online sportsbooks in the country, and their brand lives up to the hype as we review each of them. In a back-and-forth battle, these online sportsbooks seemingly won every other category.

Find out which came out on top through our BetMGM vs. DraftKings comparison below.

Now, let's see which of these two major sportsbooks is superior.

Topics We Covered in This Article

  • USA Flag Icon
    Where Can You Play?
  • Sign-Up to icon
    How Easy to Sign Up?
  • Coupon Icon
    Promotions and Bonuses
  • Order List of Markets Icon
    Available Markets
  • Green Graphs Icon
    Best Betting Odds

Where DraftKings and BetMGM Are Legal

USA Flag Icon

DraftKings Sportsbook and BetMGM are two online sportsbooks that have been available since the beginning of online legal sports betting in 2018.

Below, we’ll look at Legal US Sports Betting DraftKings states and BetMGM states:

DraftKingsBetMGM
Arizona Sports Betting

Arkansas Sports Betting

×

×

Colorado Sports Betting

Connecticut Sports Betting

×

Delaware Sports Betting

×

×

District of Columbia Sports Betting

×

Florida Sports Betting

×

(horse racing only)
Illinois Sports Betting

Indiana Sports Betting

Iowa Sports Betting

Kansas Sports Betting

Kentucky Sports Betting

Louisiana Sports Betting

Maine Sports Betting

×

Maryland Sports Betting

Massachusetts Sports Betting

Michigan Sports Betting

Mississippi Sports Betting

(retail only)

(retail only)

New Jersey Sports Betting

New York Sports Betting

New Hampshire Sports Betting

×

Nebraska Sports Betting

×

×

Nevada Sports Betting

×

North Carolina Sports Betting

Ohio Sports Betting

Oregon Sports Betting

×

Pennsylvania Sports Betting

Rhode Island Sports Betting

×

×

South Dakota Sports Betting

×

×

Tennessee Sports Betting

Vermont Sports Betting

×

Virginia Sports Betting

Washington Sports Betting

(retail only)

West Virginia Sports Betting

Wyoming Sports Betting

We gathered detailed articles regarding DraftKings legal states and BetMGM legal states.

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Bonus and Promotions

Coupon Icon

Bonuses and promotions provide players with a value that enhances their bet amount, payout, bankroll, or a combination of all three. Let’s see how DraftKings and BetMGM compare.

DraftKings Sportsbook

  • Welcome Bonus: New customers will receive $150 in Bonus Bets when making an inital wager of $5+. The means DraftKings will refund your initial wager with Bonus Bets if it loses. 
  • New Player Bonus: 20% Deposit Match up to $1,000.
  • College Basketball 25% Live Boost: Get a 25% profit boost on any live bets on  games on select days.
  • Mystery NBA Profit Boost: Get up to a 100% profit boost on any NBA bet placed on that day.
  • Refer-A-Friend: Get a bonus bet up to $100 when you refer a friend to DraftKings who has not used the platform before.

BeMGM Sportsbook

  • Welcome Bonus: At BetMGM, you’ll $150 in Bonus Bets automatically when you make an initial wager of $5+. The bonus will be awarded regardless of the wager's result.
  • Refer-A-Friend: Receive a $100 bonus when you recruit a friend to BetMGM using your exclusive link, and they wager $100 in cash.

BetMGM vs DraftKings Winner: When it comes to welcome bonuses, DraftKings Sportsbook wins. While BetMGM has some fantastic offers, Draftkings has more for both new and existing players. For that reason, they win this category. 

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Sports Coverage

NFL Ball

We all know both sites will have NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL betting, but what other, more niche sports do each offer?

DraftKingsBetMGM
Aussie Rules

Baseball

Basketball

Boxing

Cornhole

×

Cricket

Cycling

Darts

E-Sports

×

Football

Formula 1

×

Golf

Hockey

Lacrosse

MMA

Motorsports

×

NASCAR

×

Rugby League

Rugby Union

Snooker

Soccer

Table Tennis

Tennis

Volleyball

×

DraftKings vs BetMGM Winner: As you can see, this is quite close, but DraftKings gets a slight edge due to offering sports like Volleyball, and Cornhole.

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Variety of Markets

Order List of Markets Icon

Having many ways to wager on your favorite sports and teams makes for a more enjoyable experience. We all want to bet on our favorite teams in any way we can.

DraftKingsBetMGM
Moneyline

Point Spread

Total

Props

Futures

Teasers

Round Robin

Parlay

Same Game Parlay

SGPx

×

DraftKings vs BetMGM Winner: DraftKings and BetMGM have the same bet types, except Same Game Parlay Extra at DraftKings. This allows you to parlay together multiple Same Game Parlays. By having this method and BetMGM not having it, DraftKings wins.

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Sign Up Process

Sign-Up to icon

It may not be something you think about, but creating an account as quickly as possible and getting into the action is important. Which site is faster?

  • DraftKings Sportsbook: When you click “Sign Up” at DraftKings Sportsbook, it’ll start by you providing your email, username, password, and phone number before agreeing to the terms and conditions. After this, you’ll then make a real-money betting account where you’ll provide information such as your date of birth, address, and last four digits of your social security number.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook: The first step in creating a BetMGM Sportsbook account is providing your email. Alternatively, you can start the process by registering with your MGM Rewards, PayPal, or Yahoo! Sports account. After you’ve picked which method, the next page will open and ask for your password, then your name, the last four digits of your social security number, and other personal details.

BetMGM vs DraftKings Winner: Both processes are pretty fast in terms of time to complete, but BetMGM has multiple ways to start the process, and it’s broken up amongst multiple pages making it easier to complete.

🏅 Winner: BetMGM

BetMGM Sportsbook
FIRST BET OFFER $1,500

New players only | 21+ | Must bet $10+ | Paid in Bonus Bets | Bonus Bets expire in 7 days | Bonus Bets not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

Features

computer file icon

The online sports betting landscape has numerous platforms you can play at. Thus, these sites need features that set them apart, creating a unique selling point(s).

Let’s check out what each has.

DraftKingsBetMGM
Same Game Parlay: Create a parlay using events from a single game.One Game Parlay: Create a parlay from a single game.
Cash Out: Exit a bet prematurely to salvage some of your original wagers or to take what the current winnings are without risking it.Cash Out: Same concept as DraftKings.
Betting Pools: Pick a contest, pay an entry fee, make predictions and win based on how correct you are.Live Streaming: Watch some international contests such as soccer, tennis, cricket, and more.
DraftKings Social: A social media-like platform in which users can share bets they’re making or form groups for you all to connect and discuss options with.Edit My Bet: Add, swap, or remove a selection from a parlay. You can also edit the amount you want to bet.
Odds Boosts: Receive daily odds boosts on events from (potentially) any sport.Easy Parlay: This page is dedicated to streamlining the moneyline, point spread, and total betting odds.
Odds Boosts: Same as DraftKings

DraftKings vs BetMGM Winner: The live streaming is great for those who want to bet on international sports, but DraftKings wins out here with the betting pool and social media platform where you can connect with other bettors.

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Betting Odds

Green Graphs Icon

If you’re in a state with multiple online sportsbooks, one of the best things you can do is odds shop to make sure you’re getting the best odds for whatever you want to bet on.

Below, we’ll look at the odds for each sportsbook, but remember this—odds can also be based on the amount of betting action each wager is receiving.

  • DraftKings Sportsbook: At DraftKings Sportsbook, you’ll tend to, across the board, find some decent odds on underdog wagers. From our research, this ranges from five to 30 points of line value. When looking at the favored team, these are usually on par with the competitor regarding odds and the point spread number.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook: As mentioned, the odds here for the favored team are usually quite similar. For example, the point spread odds are right around -110, giving or taking five points in either direction. However, the underdog line value tends to be less lucrative at BetMGM.

BetMGM vs DraftKings Winner: When it comes down to it, the odds and line value here are quite similar. However, BetMGM does tend to offer less lucrative odds for underdogs, giving DraftKings a slight edge, especially if you want to bet on an underdog on the point spread or moneyline.

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Live Betting

Live Soccer Ball

Have you ever been going about your day only to look up at the clock and realize, “Oh no! The game I wanted to bet on has already started!”

With BetMGM and DraftKings, you can wager on that game as it’s in progress, though odds shift rapidly as the game evolves.

  • DraftKings Sportsbook: The DraftKings Sportsbook live betting page has a menu for each sport that is currently live, followed by the current score and odds for each bet type at that time. When you click on the game you want to bet on, a page will open with all the available bet types, the box score, and the stats for the game.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook: Like DraftKings, BetMGM has a live betting page with a menu for currently live sports. However, you’ll notice that as the game progresses, the different bet types will get highlighted with green or red, indicating a change in the odds for those bet types. You’ll see all the bet types and the box score when you click on the game. To the right, you’ll see live updates about what’s happening in the game and statistics from that game.

BetMGM vs DraftKings Winner: We give the edge to BetMGM here thanks to the live in-game tracker, which updates what’s happening in the game. We also like the red and green highlights indicating a change in those odds.

🏅 Winner: BetMGM

BetMGM Sportsbook
FIRST BET OFFER $1,500

New players only | 21+ | Must bet $10+ | Paid in Bonus Bets | Bonus Bets expire in 7 days | Bonus Bets not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

Live Streaming

Live Soccer Ball

Can’t find the game you want to watch on TV or your favorite streaming service? The sportsbook you’re playing at might have live streaming available.

  • DraftKings Sportsbook: Live streaming is not offered here.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook: After logging into your account, you’ll see a media section on the right side of the page. Here, you’ll find a drop-down menu that shows what games you can watch, filtered by the sport. A video box with the game will appear once you click on the event.

BetMGM vs DraftKings Winner: Since DraftKings doesn’t have live streaming, BetMGM wins by default.

🏅 Winner: BetMGM

BetMGM Sportsbook
FIRST BET OFFER $1,500

New players only | 21+ | Must bet $10+ | Paid in Bonus Bets | Bonus Bets expire in 7 days | Bonus Bets not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

Mobile App

phone icon

With online sports betting launching in 2018, the ability to wager from a mobile app has been a go-to method for placing bets. Let’s check these mobile apps out.

DraftKings Sportsbook:

When you open the DraftKings Sportsbook mobile app, you’ll first notice an account icon in the upper left-hand corner. You can click on this icon, and here, you’ll find a menu with links to the Help Center, rewards, the welcome bonus deposit bonus tracker, and more. You’ll find various menus on the homepage to navigate the sports, upcoming games, promotions, and more. Along the bottom of the app is a menu with links to the homepage, live betting, your bets, a list of the sports offered, and rewards/promotions. There’s no lag when using this app, and everything is quite responsive.

DraftKings Mobile App

BetMGM Sportsbook:

The BetMGM Sportsbook app starts with a search bar at the top next to a collapsible menu for the available sports. Below are two more menus—one for sports/live betting and another for the available promotions. As you venture down the homepage, you’ll see the most hyped upcoming games and a series of suggested One Game Parlay bets. As you proceed to the bottom of the app, you’ll see links to the homepage, promotions, and your account. Right above this is the betslip. When you log in, you can click on the account icon and find links to the Help Center and more.

betmgm app screens

DraftKings vs BetMGM Winner: We give a slight edge to BetMGM here as there is a search bar at the top of the app and a link to the promotions page. The link at the bottom of the DraftKings app says Rewards. Though this also features promotions, new players may not be aware of that.

🏅 Winner: BetMGM

BetMGM Sportsbook
FIRST BET OFFER $1,500

New players only | 21+ | Must bet $10+ | Paid in Bonus Bets | Bonus Bets expire in 7 days | Bonus Bets not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

Deposit Methods

Deposit Method Icon

When it comes to funding your account, the more options, the better. What do DraftKings and BetMGM offer?

DraftKingsBetMGM
Visa

MasterCard

AMEX

×

×

Discover

×

PayPal

Online Banking

MGM Rewards Mastercard

×

PayNearMe

VIP preferred

BetMGM Gift Card

×

Bank Wire Transfer

Play+ Card

GAMEON Card

×

DraftKings Gift Card

×

Apple Pay

Venmo

BetMGM vs DraftKings Winner: While BetMGM originally had the better offerings, DraftKings has caught up. Both operators now have close to the same amount of baking options, making this category a toss up.

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Winner: Draw

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Customer Support

help bubble

It may not be something you initially think about, but if something happens when you’re playing, and you need help, you want to get help as soon as possible.

In what ways can you get help at DraftKings and BetMGM?

DraftKingsBetMGM
FAQ

Live Chat

Email

Phone

×

×

Mail

×

DraftKings vs BetMGM Winner: Like payment methods, the more options for customer support, the better. With that thought process, DraftKings wins with that additional customer support method—a mailing address.

🏅 Winner: DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook
Bet $5, get $200 & 20%
Deposit bonus up to $1,000

Overall User Experience

User Experience Icon

Let's take a look at the user experience of both sportsbooks and understand the differences between them:

  • DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings Sportsbook provides multiple ways to deposit funds into your account, an easy-to-use betting app, multiple existing player promotions, and a large library of prop bets. The experience here is top-notch for new and veteran players alike.
  • BetMGM Sportsbook: BetMGM Sportsbook offers players one of the best welcome bonuses on the market today, but there aren’t many promotions for existing players. The mobile app is excellent, with a search bar at the top, suggestions for One Game Parlays, and also has a reasonable pool of prop bets as well. This is another top-notch sportsbook.

Strengths and Weaknesses

DraftKings Sportsbook

Strengths
Weaknesses
  • Same Game Parlay Extra tool
  • Large library of single-player prop bets
  • Many ways to deposit funds into your account, including Venmo
  • Numerous sports to wager on, including niche markets like Cornhole and Volleyball
  • Multiple existing player promotions
  • DraftKings Social platform allows bettors to connect with each other and offer advice
  • The welcome bonus is one of the least lucrative, offering a low percentage match and a “bet and get” nature to it.

BetMGM Sportsbook

Strengths
Weaknesses
  • The $150 in Bonus Bets is one of the best welcome bonuses out there today
  • Easy Parlay tool makes it easy to build parlays
  • Live streaming for international markets
  • Live updates on the live betting page
  • Great library of single-player prop bets
  • Very few existing player promotions

Our Final Verdict

Medal Icon

When comparing BetMGM vs. DraftKings Sportsbook, you’re stacking up two titans of the online sports betting industry.

When the question of “which is better? BetMGM or DraftKings” is asked, we give the slightest edge to DraftKings.

The welcome bonus is not good, no, but other than that, you’re getting an excellent site. BetMGM is also nearly flawless, but the lack of promotions for existing players and not having as many payment methods, sports options, or single-prop bets to choose from make BetMGM rank just under DraftKings by the slimmest of margins.

DraftKings & BetMGM Alternatives

betway
Betway
UP TO $250 BACK IN BONUS BETS

Ends: 11:59 PM MST on 07/11/2024. Must be a new verified Betway patron & present in OH. 21+. Make total qualifying deposits of $20+, place your first wager after account opening of $20+ with odds of at least –300 (1.33)) and receive $40 as bonus bet funds. Wager must be settled within 7 days from new account opening. Qualifying wager restrictions apply. Any bonus bet funds earned must be used within 7 days of receipt. Bonus bet funds are not the same as cash, must be used in the Sportsbook, and are subject to restrictions. Promo subject to full T&Cs. Gambling problem? Call/text 1-800-GAMBLER.

BetRivers
BetRivers
GET UP TO A $250 BONUS BET

New players only | 21+ | Must deposit $10+ | Use bonus code SPORTS | Free Bet expire after 14 days | Free Bet not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

Borgata
GET $100 IN BONUS BETS WHEN YOU BET $20

New players only | 21+ | Must bet $20+ | PAID IN BONUS BETS | Free Bet expire after 7 days | Free Bet not included in winnings | Full T&C apply

Bet365 Sportsbook Logo
Bet365
BET $5 GET $150 IN BONUS BETS or FIRST BET SAFETY NET UP TO $1,000 IN BONUS BETS

New players only | 21+ | Deposit required. Bonus Bets available for use upon settlement of qualifying bet. Returns exclude Bonus Bets wager.