Draftkings Nevada

DraftKings Announces Sponsorship of Gaming Innovation Studio at University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Nevada is home to more gambling than any other state, but it currently doesn’t allow residents to participate in daily fantasy sports. DraftKings and FanDuel hope to change that in 2017. Playing daily fantasy football on Draftkings is legal in almost all states. It’s called the UIEGA, or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The UIEGA is the provision (snuck into a terrorism-related port bill at the last minute in the fall of 2006), that led to the destruction of the online poker boom in the United States. Jan 20, 2021 DraftKings, Penn National Profit From Record-Breaking Pennsylvania December Sports Betting Pennsylvania had nearly caught up to Nevada's sportsbook at 2020's end.

DraftKings Announces Sponsorship of Gaming Innovation Studio at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Agreement gives the Company naming rights and ongoing access to local expertise and talent

Boston, MA and Las Vegas, NV – October 28, 2020 – DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) today announced a multi-year agreement to become a primary sponsor of the Center for Gaming Innovation, housed within the International Gaming Institute (IGI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The agreement includes the opening of the new DraftKings Gaming Innovation Studio at UNLV and provides DraftKings with access to local talent, while furthering the company’s ties to the Las Vegas community.

“We’re excited to be working with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and its highly regarded International Gaming Institute to further innovate global online gaming,” said Paul Liberman, DraftKings co-founder and President, Global Technology and Product. “Both DraftKings and UNLV are on the leading edge of developing the next wave of technology within the international gaming industry. Through this agreement, DraftKings not only has access to the latest ideas coming out of the Gaming Innovation Studio, but it also allows us to deepen our relationship with the Las Vegas community.”

In January 2020, DraftKings officially announced the opening of a 300-person office in Las Vegas, providing the Company access to some of the gaming industry’s top talent. The agreement with UNLV will create a pipeline to local talent and to innovations created at UNLV, which has a long-standing track record of success in commercializing gaming products, ranging from new games and software to Responsible Gaming technologies. Visitors to UNLV can expect to see new DraftKings Gaming Innovation Studio signage, as well as DraftKings branding, throughout the Stan Fulton Building.

“The creation of the DraftKings Gaming Innovation Studio at UNLV will substantially expand the scope and output of UNLV's gaming innovation program and will provide students the opportunity to collaborate in a professional setting, turning creative ideas into viable casino games,” said Daniel Sahl, Director of IGI’s Center for Gaming Innovation. “Now more than ever, we are delighted to collaborate with a company that is well-known for embracing innovation in gaming. This collaboration will help ensure that Nevada remains the global leader in gaming development and manufacturing – both now and in the future.”

About DraftKings

DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirits of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for 50+ operators across more than 15 regulated U.S. and global markets, including Arkansas and Oregon in the U.S. DraftKings’ Sportsbook offers mobile and retail betting for major U.S. and international sports and operates in the United States pursuant to regulations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 8 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB and the PGA TOUR as well as an authorized gaming operator of the NBA and MLB and an official betting operator of the PGA TOUR.

About University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute

For more than 25 years, UNLV International Gaming Institute (IGI) has provided research-based solutions, cutting-edge insights, and executive education to the gaming industry. Described as the “global intellectual capital of gaming” by former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and “The Harvard of Gaming” by Global Gaming Business, IGI houses several excellence initiatives, including the Center for Gaming Innovation, the International Center for Gaming Regulation, the Expanding the Leaderverse initiative, and the Hospitality & Esports Innovation Lab. Each of these addresses a vital need in the global gaming industry, for which the IGI serves as an answer center populated by an internationally recognized dream team of contributors. For more information, please visit igi.unlv.edu.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside DraftKings’ control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see DraftKings’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DraftKings does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contact

Company inks multi-year deal

DraftKings is now the primary sponsor of the Center for Gaming Innovation within the International Gaming Institute (IGI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

Draftkings In Nevada

The American sports betting and DFS operator announced details of the partnership on Twitter:

As part of the multi-year deal communicated on October 28, a new DraftKings Gaming Innovation Studio will open on campus to help the sports betting company get access to local talent and new innovations. DraftKings branding and signage will appear throughout the Fulton Building, the location of the new studio. The Boston-based company will also look to deepen its ties with the local Vegas community.

turning creative ideas into viable casino games”

Fanduel Nevada

Center director Daniel Sahl said the new DraftKings studio will “substantially expand the scope and output of UNLV’s gaming innovation program.” He added that it will enable student collaboration in a professional setting that will see them “turning creative ideas into viable casino games.”

According to DraftKings’ co-founder and president of global technology and product Paul Liberman, both parties are “on the leading edge of developing the next wave of technology within the international gaming industry.”

What States Allow Draftkings Sportsbook

DraftKings’ presence in Nevada

Draftkings Nevada Ban

DraftKings opened its 300-person Las Vegas office, the operator’s second-biggest premises in the US, in January. It now hopes the UNLV deal will also provide access to top talent in the gaming industry. The news release announcing the sponsorship of the IGI Center noted that the university has a long track record of success with the commercialization of gaming products.

Despite its presence in Las Vegas, DraftKings has not yet sought a gaming license in Nevada, nor has it indicated any such plans for the region.

the recipient of a “cease and desist” order

Back in 2015, DraftKings was the recipient of a “cease and desist” order from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The order deemed the operator’s daily fantasy sports offering to be sports betting as per state law and concluded that DraftKings could not operate in Nevada without a license.

Market expansion across the US

DraftKings has been rapidly expanding its presence in the US gaming sector through partnerships and product launches. Starting in 2012, the operator initially focused on daily fantasy sports before expanding into sports betting and online casinos in recent years.

Currently, DraftKings operates licensed sportsbooks in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Colorado. It also has daily fantasy sports offerings in many states and online casinos in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Jersey. The company aims to be present “in every regulated state possible”.