Draftkings Deceptive Betting Menu
Draftkings is getting away with deceptive advertisement
Take a look at the Draftkings app and you will see more betting options than any other US onshore sportsbook. This is an important advertising advantage for Draftkings. It is also an example of what is wrong with the sports betting industry in the US.
Below is the menu from the betting app or what you can find at the sportsbook’s online website.
The betting menu above shows that there are a lot of betting options. Not just game lines but also; Player Props, Periods, Game Props (60 min), Team Props, Game Props including OT.
Looks great. In fact this is what every sportsbook should be offering to a customer. However, this is not what is available at the Draftkings kiosk or if you go into a retail location to make a bet. While those who only bet on the app will not care about this they should. As long as Draftkings is allowed to get away with the decieptful bait and switch there is no limit to what else the company can do.
If you look at the picture above you will see some lines that are circled. Those are the lines that are available at the retail location or at a kiosk. Only the game money line, game puck line, game total, first period total, first period half puck line and, first period money line are available.
This is not something that is exclusive to hockey. I have been in a Draftkings sportsbook on Sunday morning less that 2 hours before kickoff and no player props were available at the kiosk or at the retail window. Draftkings management knows that once you have entered one of their retail sportsbook locations that you are unlikely to leave even if they do not offer the bet you wanted to make. You might complain to the sportsbook writer but he has nothing to do with this and is just the fall guy for sleazy business practices by the executive management.
How can Drafkting get away with this?
Why isn’t there reporting on this by sports news sites or from major news organizations? Sports betting expansion is big news and there have been national reporting on major sports betting business and their stock market value.
The obvious answer is money. How many of these sports betting “news” sites have links to Drafktings, Fanduel or, any other sports betting sites? If they do then you need to understand that you are not the customer. The sports betting site is their customer. These sports betting news and information sites make money by funneling customers to betting sites like Drafktings. Click on a link and get a great welcome bonus offer. That site that you were on just made money off of you.
Why would you bad mouth the golden goose?
There was one website that was the gold standard for sports betting information, VSIN. The Vegas Sports Information Network was started several years ago to give straightforward news and information on sports betting. Not only did they give out sports betting insights but they were also critical of sports betting corporations that did not live up to what they promised the customer. If a sportsbook limited customer bets then VSIN would report. If a sportsbook was turning away “professional” gamblers then VSIN would report it.
A few years ago Draftkings tried to have the first Sports Betting National Championship. It failed miserably. Eventhough many on VSIN knew the people involved the VSIN reporters were still highly critical of Draftkings for the way it was handled. A win for the sports bettors to have a news site hold one of the most powerful sports betting companies accountable. How did Draftkings respond to this? Drafktings bought VSIN. Yep, just bought out the site. If only Marlboro had thought of this strategy and just bought the New York Times think of how much money they would have saved.
It will get worse
There is too much money on the table for news sites to ignore the value of promoting sports betting to their customers. If a local newspaper or a national sports news website has links to a sportsbook then they are working for that sportsbook. If they badmouth Draftkings then DK can just take away their affiliate program. Draftkings doesn’t have to threaten them with this because they know that the news site knows what will happen.
I am glad to let everyone know that XSportsbook.com has no affiliation with sportsbooks. We do not make a penny off of you if you click on a link to a sportsbook from our site.
