DraftKings has expanded its Pick6 DFS tournaments to 16 states, and most recently arrived in the District of Columbia.
Hybrid Wager
DraftKings Pick6 offering is akin to sports betting props under the umbrella of a parlay but paid out in a preset amount, ala a daily fantasy sports tournament. Confused? Well, so too are several lawmakers who struggle to define this as sports betting or a DFS tournament-style menu option.
DraftKings differentiates their Pick6 from other fantasy platforms in that it requires 2-6 player selections. According to the DraftKings website, it is explained in the following steps.
- To get started, build a lineup – also known as your “Pick Set” – by choosing 2-6 athletes from the same sport and selecting “More” or “Less” for each associated stat.
- All Pick6 contests are peer-to-peer. That means you always compete directly against other participants.
- After selecting your Pick Set, enter your desired Entry Fees. Each $1 of your Entry Fees represents a single entry into a contest. Each entry competes for a share of that contest’s total prizes.
- In Pick6, there’s no need to select contests from a lobby – instead, your Entry Fees will be divided into $1 entries, which are then distributed across eligible contests.
- Pick6 contests contain a Maximum Entry Limit of 150 entries.
- Pick6 prizes are guaranteed and are established and made known to participants in advance of all contests. Winning entries receive an even share of the prizes as described in each contest’s prize table.
What’s the Future of Pick6?
In states where sports betting is not licensed, the Pick6 has a bright future as it appeases those who need something akin to a sports betting fix but is still within the legal definition of a DFS contest as long as tournaments require more than one “prop” to choose from, otherwise, it can be construed as a sports betting prop pick.
Because DraftKings’ Pick6 tournaments are comprised of 2-6 selections depending on the contest, it has steered clear of trouble in most jurisdictions. But in those states where sports betting is licensed, it impinges too closely on sports betting territory, which is where DraftKings also plies its trade as one of the most popular mobile sportsbooks in the industry.
Maryland, where sports betting is licensed, recently outlawed Pick6 only weeks after it gave its approval. Other sports betting states like Delaware, Michigan, New Mexico, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia could take similar action.
Maryland Lottery and Gaming spokesperson Seth Elkin said: “Maryland’s sports wagering law has a broad definition of wager types that are considered sports wagering as opposed to daily fantasy sports. As a result, there are competitions that may be permitted under the DFS laws and regulations in other jurisdictions but aren’t permitted here.
“The sports wagering definition in our law includes single-game bets; teaser bets; parlays; over-unders; moneylines; pools; exchange wagering; in-game wagering; in-play bets; proposition bets; and straight bets. If a competition has any of these components, it’s defined in Maryland as sports wagering and is not permitted as a DFS offering. It can only be made available by a licensed online sports wagering platform or facility.”
