A DraftKings sportsbook is opening up at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in Mississippi on Friday, Nov. 16. The sportsbook will be DraftKings’ first physical betting location ever established in the United States.
Scarlet Pearl is located on the Gulf Coast in D’Iberville, Mississippi. The casino’s new sportsbook will feature multiple screens and three windows for fans to place live, in-game wagers on both college and professional sports. The sportsbook will be directed by Nicholas “Nico” Sfanos, who previously ran sportsbooks for Station Casinos in Nevada.
“We are excited to introduce DraftKings, a ‘New Way’ to game for our current and future guests,” said Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort CEO LuAnn Pappas in a press release. “Our collaboration with DraftKings is an opportunity for us to continue to set high standards on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and give our players a new home for sports betting.”
Mississippi is one of six states to pass legalized sports betting, but the state has yet to legalize mobile wagering, which is why DraftKings is opening up its first physical betting location. In New Jersey, where online betting is legal, DraftKings’ mobile sportsbook reported a hugely successful first month of revenue in September.
SportTechie Takeaway
DraftKings has made a strong marketing push for its sportsbook by recruiting basketball great Charles Barkley to star in a number of ads for the product. Mobile wagering’s illegal status in Mississippi could mean a shift for DraftKings in the long term. Perhaps if this inaugural Mississippi location does well, DraftKings may open physical sports book stations elsewhere as a compliment to its mobile wagering app in states where sports gambling is fully legal.