DraftKings Reportedly Tops FanDuel In Gross Gaming Revenue

A new report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming has DraftKings beating longtime rival FanDuel in terms of U.S. gross gaming revenue. The online betting site has been competitive as of late, with September numbers reflecting that DraftKings accounted for over 56% of the betting handle.

This continues the longtime battle between DraftKings and FanDuel, which has been raging for over a decade as the two originally clashed as daily fantasy sports operators in the 2010s.

DraftKings Overtakes FanDuel In GGR

DraftKings just got a major win when it comes to gross gaming revenue (GGR), overtaking FanDuel at the top spot in the U.S. Market research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) has revealed its numbers for August, and DraftKings now has 32.5% market share in the country with its combined sports betting and iGaming offerings, beating FanDuel’s overall totals of 29.6%.

According to EGR North America, EKG claims that one potential reason for this shift is the May 2022 acquisition of Golden Nugget Online Gaming. The company has also pointed to future changes within the sports betting industry, especially with the recent rollout of Fanatics Sportsbook Online and the anticipated rollout of ESPN Bet.

Meanwhile, fellow betting operators ultimately stayed the same, with the MGM Resorts International brand BetMGM remaining in the third spot, followed by Caesars and BetRivers.

DraftKings Dominating Massachusetts Betting Market

This continues the positive week of news for DraftKings. The online betting site was responsible for 56.6% of the Massachusetts sports betting handle for September, accounting for $290.1 million of the entire $512.1 million total.

The Bay State launched sports betting in March of 2023, and September represented the third largest handle in state history. DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and the platform has finalized partnerships with three major teams in the area: the Boston Bruins, New England Patriots, and Boston Red Sox.

DraftKings vs. FanDuel Battle Continues

All of this is the latest chapter in a storied rivalry between DraftKings and FanDuel. While FanDuel got its start in daily fantasy sports in 2009, DraftKings launched in 2012. A 2015 Forbes article details the fierce rivalry between the two sides at the time, detailing that DraftKings originally became second to FanDuel in daily fantasy sports back in May of 2013, showing just how long the two sides have battled for market share.

This conflict would seriously heat up with the overturning of PASPA in 2018, with FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook launching in new betting markets. The two have since been battling for overall market share, with a May 2023 report claiming that FanDuel had gained 45.1% of the sports betting market compared to DraftKings’ 32%. (It’s important to note that this is purely in terms of sports betting, with iGaming being part of the reason DraftKings is now number one in GGR.)

The two sports betting operators have plenty in common outside of the sports betting world. Both offer online casino apps and horse racing platforms, and have struck partnerships with numerous professional teams.

Both have even dipped a toe into launching media networks, with DraftKings launching DraftKings Network (which features shows like GOJO and Golic and Ross Tucker Football) and FanDuel’s rebranding of TVG as FanDuel TV (featuring horse racing programming plus shows like Up & Adams and Run It Back).