DraftKings was launched in 2012 as a real-money daily and weekly fantasy sports site. The site is immensely successful and DraftKings proceeded to branch out into sports betting after the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban. DraftKings online sportsbook went live in New Jersey in August 2018 which made it the first legal online bookmaker in the United States outside of Nevada. The sportsbook took in about $1 million worth of wagers in its first month in operation.
While you don’t need to be a New Jersey resident to register and place a bet at DraftKings, you must be within New Jersey’s state lines and be at least 21 years old for a bet to be accepted. Signing up for a DraftKings betting account takes only a few seconds and it takes just a few seconds more to fund your account using any one of the payment methods that are available. DraftKings uses the latest SSL encryption to ensure that all transactions are secure and you can do everything that you want to do using a desktop computer or DraftKings’ mobile app.
Create A DraftKings Account
The first thing you need to do if you want to deposit funds and place sports bets at DraftKings is to open an account. This is done by clicking on the “Join/Login To DraftKings” link in the top-right corner of the main page. You will be redirected to a new page where you can log in to your existing account or create a new account by clicking on the “Sign Up” button. After selecting the “Sign Up” link, you will be asked to enter some basic information such as your email address, state of residence, and date of birth. You then just need to click on the green “Sign Up” button at the bottom and follow the rest of the instructions.
Now you have a DraftKings betting account which you can use to access the sportsbook and daily fantasy sports. Be reminded that you will be required to verify your age and identity before you can have full access to the site’s features. You can scan and upload the necessary documents by clicking on your username in the top-right corner of the main page and then selecting account information from the drop-down menu.
Make A Deposit At DraftKings Online
Once your account has been created and your identity has been verified, you are mere moments away from being able to place a bet. The only thing left to do is to make a deposit and you have a few options to choose from. Click on the green “Deposit” button that is located in the top-right corner of the main page, select your preferred payment method and deposit amount, then follow the instructions. If you used one of the instant deposit methods, then your DraftKings betting account should be instantly credited as soon as you confirm the transaction.
Credit Cards: Instant deposits can be processed using Visa and MasterCard but there is a bit of a catch. Although gambling is legal in New Jersey, many banks that issue credit cards will not process credit card transactions with online gambling sites. About 75% of credit card transactions were declined in the first month of operations but that rate has dropped to about 50%.
Debit Cards: Instant deposits can be made using your Visa or MasterCard debit card but the same problems that apply to credit cards apply to debit cards.
Play+ Prepaid: Play+ Prepaid is very much like an e-wallet and it is a great way to get around credit card and debit card issues because you can fund your Play+ Prepaid using your Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card as well as your checking account. Another upside to using this method is that it can be used to process withdrawals. Play+ Prepaid deposits are instantly credited to your DraftKings betting account.
PayPal: PayPal is one of the most popular and trusted payment methods available and DraftKings customers can make instant deposits with it.
Bank Transfers: Bank transfers are still a relatively popular way to make deposits and they are accepted at DraftKings. Unlike the other payment options mentioned here, bank transfers are not instant and it may take a couple of days before your betting account is credited.
Conclusion
DraftKings doesn’t currently give their customers as many payment options as some other online bookmakers do but it could be reasonably expected that more options will be available in the future. Still, the payment methods that customers can use now are well known, trusted, and easy to use.