DraftKings Co-Founder Bets Big on Merger with FanDuel
With just four days left until Super Bowl Sunday, rest assured football fans will make some wild bets on the big game.
The off-the-wall bets include everything from what color Gatorade will be poured on the winning coach’s head, to who the game’s most valuable player will thank first as he accepts the award.
“I think it has to be the lemon Gatorade for sure that’s way more popular,” DraftKings Co-Founder Matt Kalish said during an interview on FOX Business Network’s Countdown to the Closing Bell.
As reported by FOX Business, Sunday’s matchup between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons will draw $4.7 billion in total wagers.
Kalish said the NFL’s success drove DraftKings to launch a new fantasy gaming feature called Leagues, which doubled their business.
“We really put our heads down and tried to focus on not just growing the public league business that so many people are familiar with, but also really stepping up our game in terms of private social leagues that people love to participate in season long with their friends,” he said.
Fantasy sports gaming is exceedingly popular, but the industry has been plagued by scandals including an accusations of insider-trading.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins told FOX Busness’ Maria Bartiromo in October 2015 that the company is “completely committed to creating an open and transparent environment.”
Now the company is waiting on the completion of the merger with FanDuel, a combination of the nation's two dominant daily fantasy sports websites.
“There’s a process to go through like most mergers that are of this size and scale. It’s nothing that you wouldn’t expect,” Kalish said.
According to Kalish, merging with FanDuel will give DraftKings the opportunity to build a powerhouse in sports entertainment.
“We put together the combined talents and capabilities of both organizations I think you can put us up there with any great sports entertainment company in the world,” he said.