DraftKings

Friday Headlines: DraftKings Arrives in Kentucky Edition

Did you place a sports bet from your app on Thursday?

By John Morgan Francis@MonJorgan Sep 29, 2023, 6:40am EDT

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DraftKings Sportsbook went LIVE in Kentucky on Thursday for people to place sports betting wagers via the DraftKings Sportsbook app and online at their website.

A Sea of Blue had the privilege of speaking with Johnny Avello, Director of Race & Sportsbook Operations for DraftKings. Avello has nearly four decades of experience in the sports betting world and has been the face of DraftKings sportsbook for the last five years.

We asked Avello what he believes people should know about DraftKings, what it means for DraftKings to be in Kentucky, what people can expect from DraftKings, and more.

First and foremost, Avello said those new to sports betting or those who haven’t placed many sports bets will be “overwhelmed” in a positive way by what DraftKings has to offer.

He says that those who are more familiar with sports betting will use the DraftKings Sportsbook app and be blown away by the amount of content they have.

Avello says in addition to standard point spreads and totals, DraftKings provides alternative bets to bet a specific line higher or lower. Users will be able to bet on college hockey, lacrosse, etc., as well as future win totals on specific sports.

In comparison to other sports betting apps in the market, Avello views DraftKings as the easiest to use and the most concise in regard to having options easy to find as well as the user being able to navigate smoothly throughout the app.

Avello described DraftKings as having one of the finest reputations. Kentucky is the 24th state DraftKings has joined, and he says when opening in a new state (like they are now in Kentucky), things almost always run relatively smoothly.

If Avello could offer advice to those new to sports betting, he would advise people to take things slow and gravitate to what they understand when it comes to point spreads, money line, totals, future bets (like Kentucky basketball or football to win the national title), etc. He also says it’s important for people to be “within their means” when it comes to gambling, such as setting an amount aside to gamble and that being it.

According to Avello, the timing couldn’t be better for DraftKings and Kentucky. We’re in the midst of college football and the NFL, with college basketball and the NBA on the horizon. The MLB playoffs are also set to start next week.

Amongst many other things, DraftKings is also popular for the promotional opportunities offered to its users. There are usually “no-brainer” opportunities, with an example being a team scoring a single point. Avello couldn’t confirm what the lineup for some of those opportunities will be but said his team is currently working on them, and users can expect promotions regularly.

Avello said with all of Kentucky’s border states offering sports betting, it was important for Kentucky to pass sports betting through legislation so people wouldn’t leave the state to place their bets.

When asked about a prediction for Saturday’s football game between Kentucky and Florida, Avello gave a final score of 24-21 and said it could go either way.

Tweet of the Day

POV: Kentucky bettors cashing their first no-brainer thanks to Amon-Ra St. Brown pic.twitter.com/gwRMdYxavS
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) September 29, 2023