There is a trend in Sportsbook betting towards ever more immersive environments. Now DraftKings makes a dramatic debut at their first physical sportsbook location at Resorts Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey thanks to McCann Systems last November.
New Jersey argued for over 8 years to legalize sports betting, and in 2018 the U.S. Supreme Court gave them their win in a 6-3 decision. Since then the trend has only grown.
At the initial location, McCann filled the 5,000 square foot lounge and retail betting atmosphere with immersive AV including 1,000 square feet of UHD screens showing live sports action and over 8,000 watts of high-fidelity zoned audio. Even the bathrooms are AV-enabled. Fans like the ability to toggle between the DraftKings app, website, and live odds in front of them—no need for betting slips.
Now as we go to press, McCann has upped the standard yet again with DraftKings Foxwoods Resort Casino—a landmark two-story sportsbook in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The new DraftKings sportsbook is the most immersive in the area featuring 12,000 square feet of non-stop live sports interaction, including a racebook, two full bars, and a 250 top restaurant. The centerpiece of the stadium-like experience is the massive Absen LED videowall. At 50 feet by 30 feet and backing the main level bar, everyone feels the vibe. In the VIP area, 98-inch and 50-inch displays allow users to program their experience how they see fit.
Another fifty feet of bright, custom 3mm pixel pitch LED show DraftKing’s signature curved ticker bending around the architecture. LED also crowns the main wagering desk: 20 feet of 2.5mm pitch constantly refreshed with live data. Nine 55-inch displays come together to make another video wall on the first floor, making 16 betting kiosks come to life inside the sportsbook. As with the debut install, DraftKings Sportsbook mobile app allows full access from anywhere.
During install, McCann also assisted in a temporary solution while the two-story, 12,000-feet space was being commissioned. The racebook was combined into a race and temporary retail sports betting operation with live-action and betting windows. In the first month of operation, the book took in over 70,000 physical bets and paid over $1m in taxes to the state of Connecticut.
“The new DraftKings Sportsbook at Foxwoods redefines what it means to bet, gather and play and delivers on our commitment to offer the best sports betting experience in the Northeast,” says Foxwoods president and CEO Jason Guyot.
This is a trend with legs, now that a growing number of states are legalizing gambling and DraftKings is keen to translate their virtual popularity to bricks and mortar. In any state that has passed legislation, as long as a bettor is in the jurisdiction of the state (physical boundary, determined by the GPS on your device), you can legally place a bet using DraftKings Sportsbook. With almost 10 million registered users on the DraftKings platform, the potential for more thrilling, immersive experiences seems limitless.
