DraftKings Reports 15% Rise in NFL Sportsbook Handle
United States.- 24 September 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com DraftKings has reported a strong start to the 2026 NFL season, with sportsbook handle rising 15% year on year during the opening two weeks.
At the same time, the company is seeing rapid growth in DraftKings Predictions, where trading volume has increased by almost 2.5 times since July.
15% Handle Growth
Jason Robins, DraftKings co-founder, Chairman and CEO, disclosed the figures during the Wells Fargo 9th Annual Consumer Conference.
He said sportsbook handle had increased by 15% year on year during the opening phase of the NFL season.
Traditional Sportsbook Only
Robins clarified that the figure applies exclusively to DraftKings’ conventional sportsbook operation.
It does not include activity generated through DraftKings Predictions.
That distinction separates the performance of two businesses operating under different regulatory structures.
Opening Weeks of the NFL
The comparison covers the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season.
American football remains one of the biggest generators of betting volume in the US market.
Strong Customer Engagement
Robins also highlighted strong customer engagement.
DraftKings believes the opening weeks have delivered encouraging trends across:
- Handle.
- User activity.
- Engagement.
- Product usage.
Prediction Markets Expanding
Alongside sportsbook growth, DraftKings is continuing to expand its prediction-market operation.
Robins described the vertical as a significant growth opportunity.
Volume Nearly 2.5 Times Higher
Prediction-market trading volume has increased by almost 2.5 times since July, according to the CEO.
The period included strong sports activity following this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
DraftKings Predictions
DraftKings launched its standalone prediction-markets product in December 2025.
The platform allows eligible users to trade contracts based on real-world outcomes.
Sports and financial markets formed part of its initial offering.
Separate Product
DraftKings Predictions operates separately from the traditional sportsbook.
The distinction is important because the two businesses fall under different regulatory structures.
Federal Oversight
DraftKings Predictions entered the event-contract market under the federal framework overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC.
Traditional sportsbooks, by contrast, operate under state-level gaming licences.
NFL Strength
Robins said DraftKings has built a particularly strong position in NFL-related prediction markets.
Its share in American football is higher than its position across sports overall.
Greater NFL Market Depth
DraftKings says it currently offers roughly three times as many NFL markets as some competing prediction-market businesses.
Product depth forms a central part of its competitive strategy.
College Football and MLB
The company also says it offers approximately 1.5 times as many markets for college football and Major League Baseball.
It aims to use broader coverage to support engagement and trading volume.
Smaller Sports
Robins acknowledged that there are still areas requiring improvement.
He cited tennis as one example where the company believes its market depth can expand.
High-Volume Sports Remain the Priority
DraftKings is concentrating resources on sports capable of delivering the greatest audience and transaction volume.
These include:
- NFL.
- College football.
- MLB.
- Major global sporting events.
World Cup Boost
Prediction-market activity had already received a boost during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament helped increase awareness and trading activity in sports event contracts.
Sportsbook and Prediction Markets Growing Together
DraftKings’ early NFL figures suggest that rising prediction-market activity has not prevented growth in its conventional sportsbook.
For the moment, both verticals are expanding simultaneously within the company.
Cannibalisation Debate
One major industry question is whether prediction markets will divert betting volume away from regulated sportsbooks.
DraftKings’ early figures are not sufficient to establish a broader market conclusion, but they show sportsbook growth during the same period in which prediction-market activity accelerated.
NFL Betting Market
External industry analysis continues to expect conventional sportsbooks to account for most NFL wagering this season.
Prediction markets, however, are taking an increasingly visible share of sports-related activity.
Regulatory Disputes
The rapid expansion of sports event contracts continues to generate regulatory disputes across the United States.
Several states argue that some event contracts function as sports betting and should therefore require state gambling licences.
Prediction-market businesses maintain that their products operate under a federal derivatives framework.
NFL Raises Concerns
The NFL itself has also raised objections to certain prediction markets linked to league games and specific outcomes.
The league has highlighted potential integrity and manipulation concerns around particular contract types.
Competitive Expansion
DraftKings is entering a segment where specialist prediction-market businesses had already established large customer bases.
The company is seeking to leverage its existing brand, technology and sports audience to close that gap.
iGaming Improvement
Robins also said DraftKings has begun regaining iGaming market share.
The company is seeing stronger growth after previous periods of more intense competitive pressure.
$1 Billion EBITDA Target
DraftKings remains on course for approximately $1 billion in adjusted EBITDA during 2026.
Robins said the company expects that figure to increase materially in 2027.
Potential Higher Investment
The CEO said DraftKings could invest meaningfully more if current trends continue.
Additional spending during the remainder of 2026 could be used to support higher revenue and gross profit next year.
Technology and Product
Investment could support areas including:
- Prediction-market development.
- Sports-market expansion.
- Technology.
- Acquisition.
- Retention.
- Customer experience.
Industry Context
The US market is seeing increasing convergence between sportsbooks and prediction markets.
Established betting operators are entering event contracts, while specialist prediction platforms are increasing their exposure to sports.
The NFL has become one of the primary battlegrounds for that competition.
Next Steps and Impact
DraftKings will continue monitoring whether early sportsbook growth is sustained as the NFL season progresses and how rapidly DraftKings Predictions can scale alongside it.
The company plans to provide a fuller update on its 2027 outlook during its November earnings call.
For now, the opening weeks of the NFL season show simultaneous growth across sportsbook, iGaming and prediction markets, three areas DraftKings increasingly views as complementary drivers of expansion.
Editó: @fonta
