DraftKings States: Where Is DraftKings Sportsbook Legal in the US?

✅Fact Checked by: Michael Savio

DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the more well-known online betting sites on the market today. This page will educate you on the states where its numerous platforms are legal, information about the brand, how it became legal and more.

• Where Is DraftKings Sportsbook Legal?
• Where Is DraftKings Casino Legal?
• DraftKings Legal States
• DraftKings: Background on the Brand
• DraftKings Sports Betting Legal Timeline Retrospective
• Open an Account
• States Where DraftKings Is Legal
• FAQs About DraftKings Legal States

DraftKings has legal sports betting in 23 of the 50 states in the US. Of the 23, Massachusetts is recently went live in March 2023, and Mississippi is for retail betting only. The complete list of states includes Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Following the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act getting overturned in May 2018, DraftKings kicked into action and launched its first-ever online sportsbook in New Jersey in August 2018.

Online gambling is legal in just six states, and DraftKings Casino can be found in five. The states where it’s legal include Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

After a failed merger with FanDuel in 2017, DraftKings then proceeded as its own entity, launching online sports betting then the casino at the tail-end of 2018. DraftKings Casino partnered up with Resorts Casino Atlantic City, a luxury hotel with over 80,00 square feet of gaming space.

According to a study performed by Morning Consult in 2022, not only were respondents most familiar with DraftKings Sportsbook, but it was the most-used platform, drawing percentages of 78% and 61%, respectively.

DraftKings is an online gaming platform that gained notoriety in the early 2010s with its daily fantasy sports platform. It skyrocketed in brand recognition following its NFL-based Millionaire Maker contests. DraftKings and FanDuel tried a merger in November 2016, but it ultimately fell through. Today, DraftKings has acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming and now has investors such as Michael Jordan.

• 2023 - DraftKings Sportsbook Comes Home: In 2023, DraftKings Sportsbook started off the year, launching in Ohio on New Year's Day and Massachusetts in March.
• The remainder of 2022 - …And It Continues Even More: DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Kansas and Maryland.
• January 2022 - DraftKings Sportsbook Continues To Spread Across The Country: DraftKings Sportsbook replaced “Scoreboard” as Oregon’s sportsbook. It also launched in New York and Louisiana.
• 2019 - DraftKings Sportsbook Rapdibly Expands: Throughout 2019, DraftKings launched more branches, including West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Mississippi (retail), Indiana, Wyoming, and Iowa.
• December 2018 - DraftKings Sportsbook Launches!: DraftKings announced it would launch in West Virginia, partnering with Hollywood Casino. It would go on to officially launch in August 2019. DraftKings also launched its first online casino, DraftKings Casino, in New Jersey.
• May 2018 - PASPA Gets Overturned, DK Petitions NJ: PASPA gets overturned, allowing states to legalize sports betting. New Jersey becomes the first, starting with retail sports betting. The online sportsbook launched in August 2018 after multiple petitions to launch a sportsbook in the state, including ads from Charles Barkley.

At DraftKings Sportsbook, the registration process takes just a few minutes to complete. The process is pretty straightforward, but to be safe, we’ll go over how to do it step-by-step.

1. Download one of the DraftKings Sportsbook betting apps from the Apple App or Google Play Store. Alternatively, visit the desktop site (sportsbook.draftkings.com). You don’t need to be in any of the DraftKings legal states when you create an account.
2. Click on “Log In” in the upper right-hand corner of the page. This will open the DK Sportsbook login page with a link to create an account. Click “Sign Up” to create the DraftKings sports betting account.
3. Create a DraftKings Sportsbook account. There’s an initial step before the real-money account. Here, you’ll provide information such as your email, username, password, phone number, and promo code (when necessary) and agree to the terms and conditions.
4. After this, you’ll start the DraftKings betting account. You’ll provide more information like your name, address, date of birth, and last four digits of your social security number.
5. You’ll then agree to DraftKings’ geolocation software. This will confirm you’re in one of the legal DraftKings sportsbook states so you can make real-money transactions.
6. Once your account and location are confirmed, you can start depositing funds and betting.

Two-factor Authentication required in some states

Two-factor authentication is a security measure you can opt into to keep your account secure. In addition to logging into your account, two-factor authentication sends you a code to your mobile device that you’ll provide when you log in to complete the process. You can enable this during or after the registration process. If you wish to add it after creating an account, you can do so by clicking on your profile photo, “Login & Security,” and toggle it off or on. When you enable it, a code will be set to your phone to enroll.

Since launching in 2018, DraftKings has quickly spread across the United States. Below is a list of all the states it’s legal in and the states it has launched in, in order.

Is DraftKings legal in New Jersey?

Yes! New Jersey is the home of the first state where DraftKings Sportsbook launches, opening its virtual doors in August 2018 after a partnership with Resorts Casino AC.

Is DraftKings legal in Mississippi?

Yes! Partnered with Scarlet Pearl, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Mississippi in November 2018. There is currently no legal online sports betting in the state, so it’s retail-only.

Is DraftKings legal in West Virginia?

Yes! DraftKings Sportsbook is partnered with Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in WV. It launched in August 2019.

Is DraftKings legal in Indiana?

Yes! Partnered with Ameristar Casino Hotel East Chicago, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in the state on September 1, 2019.

Is DraftKings legal in Wyoming?

Yes! The same day as Indiana, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Wyoming. Wyoming has no land-based partner as it’s not required in the state.

Is DraftKings legal in Iowa?

Yes! Partnered with Wild Rose Casino & Resort, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Iowa on October 3, 2019.

Is DraftKings legal in PA?

Yes! Pennsylvania: DraftKings Sportsbook came to Pennsylvania in November 2019, partnering with Hollywood Casino at Pennational Race Course.

Is DraftKings legal in New Hampshire?

Yes! DraftKings Sportsbook has an agreed-upon monopoly in New Hampshire. It’s partnered with The Brook and Filotimo Casino. It came to the Granite State in December 2019.

Is DraftKings legal in Colorado?

Yes! On May 1, 2020, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Colorado in partnership with Bally’s Black Hawk.

Is DraftKings legal in Illinois?

Yes! The state home to Chicago welcomed DraftKings Sportsbook on August 5, 2020, in partnership with East Riverfront St. Louis, where there’s a land-based DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen.

Is DraftKings legal in Michigan?

Yes! Partnered with Bay Mills Resort & Casino, DraftKings Sportsbook came to Michigan on January 22, 2021.

Is DraftKings legal in Virginia?

Yes! With no land-based partner required, DraftKings launched in Virginia on January 24, 2021.

Is DraftKings legal in Arizona?

Yes! Arizona doesn’t require partnering with a land-based casino, but it’s partnered with the PGA Tour and TPC Scottsdale. It launched in the state on September 9, 2021.

Is DraftKings legal in Connecticut?

Yes! On October 19, 2021, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Connecticut, partnering with Foxwood Resort Casino.

Is DraftKings legal in NY?

Yes! Toward the beginning of 2022, on January 8, DraftKings Sportsbook launched in New York, partnering with del Lago Resort & Casino.

Is DraftKings legal in Louisiana?

Yes! On January 28, 2022, DraftKings launched in Louisiana in partnership with Golden Nugget Lake Charles.

Is DraftKings legal in Washington?

Yes! Washington legalized retail sports betting but only allows for mobile betting to be done from a local sportsbook. DraftKings launched two retail locations in September of 2022 at the Tulalip Resort Casino and Quil Ceda Creek Casino.

Is DraftKings legal in Kansas?

Yes! After partnering up with Boot Hill Casino & Resort, Kansas became home to DK Sportsbook on September 8, 2022.

Is DraftKings legal in Maryland?

Yes! In November of 2022, DK Sportsbook came to Maryland, partnering with Crown Maryland Gaming.

Is DraftKings legal in Ohio?

Yes! Partnering with Hollywood Casino (two locations: Toledo and Columbus), DK came to Ohio on New Year’s Day in 2023.

Is DraftKings legal in Massachusetts?

DraftKings started in Massachusetts and came back home by launching in the Bay State in March 2023.