Publications
Publications
- December 2018
- HBS Case Collection
DraftKings and the Future of Fantasy Sports
By: Robert F. Higgins and Julia Kelley
Abstract
Founded in 2012, DraftKings helped change the fantasy sports landscape by popularizing daily fantasy sports (DFS), or short-term fantasy sports tournaments that offered big cash prizes to winners. The company’s valuation exceeded $1 billion by 2015, but DraftKings soon faced intense scrutiny from government agencies about whether its business model violated federal laws preventing sports betting and online gambling. Then, in May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal law that had prohibited states from legalizing sports betting. Now that states could legalize sports betting, what should DraftKings’ next steps be?
Keywords
Fantasy Sports; Daily Fantasy Sports; DraftKings; FanDuel; Supreme Court; Sports Betting; Sports Gambling; Sports; Business Model; Government Legislation; Lawsuits and Litigation; Laws and Statutes; Business Strategy; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States; Massachusetts; Boston
Citation
Higgins, Robert F., and Julia Kelley. "DraftKings and the Future of Fantasy Sports." Harvard Business School Case 819-074, December 2018.