BOSTON and CHICAGO, Sept. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) and The Chicago Cubs today announced that they have joined forces to make DraftKings, America’s top rated mobile sportsbook app, the Official Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Partner of the storied MLB franchise. The multi-year deal includes a plan to pursue a first-of-its-kind sportsbook at the iconic Wrigley Field, with online access available in the surrounding Wrigleyville area. The planned DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field will include a best in class entertainment experience for sports fans in Illinois. Although sports betting is now legal in Illinois, the development of a retail sportsbook would require approval by the City of Chicago.
“This is truly a historic moment, as we are thrilled to align with the renowned Chicago Cubs franchise and iconic Wrigley Field to provide sports bettors in Chicago with a revolutionary sports betting experience,” said Matt Kalish, Co-founder and President, DraftKings North America. “As two organizations that share a mutual passion for innovation and a commitment to excellence, we look forward to working in collaboration with the Cubs, an organization steeped in tradition, and making our presence felt in and around Wrigleyville.”
“DraftKings has been a great partner for a number of years and we are excited to expand this relationship as sports betting grows rapidly in Illinois,” said Crane Kenney, President of Business Operations, Chicago Cubs. “An increasing number of sports fans want to integrate sports betting into their game experience, and we’re excited to be one of the first to engage in developing a retail sportsbook at a professional sports venue.”
DraftKings currently operates retail sportsbooks in eight states, including a location in Illinois at DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis. Per Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Executive Order 2020-41, online and mobile sportsbook registration is currently available statewide through September 19, 2020.
Fans can access DraftKings Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports apps anywhere by visiting www.draftkings.com or by downloading the DraftKings app via iOS and Android.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirits of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for 50+ operators across more than 15 regulated U.S. and global markets, including Arkansas and Oregon in the U.S. DraftKings’ Sportsbook offers mobile and retail betting for major U.S. and international sports and operates in the United States pursuant to regulations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 8 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB and the PGA TOUR as well as an authorized gaming operator of the NBA and MLB and an official betting operator of the PGA TOUR.
About the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs franchise, a charter member of Major League Baseball’s National League since 1876, has won the National League pennant 17 times and was the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles in the 1907 and 1908 seasons. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs made history again when the team won its first World Series in 108 years, ending the longest championship drought in North American sports. Known for its ivy-covered outfield walls, hand-operated scoreboard and famous Marquee, iconic Wrigley Field has been the home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916 and is the second oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. In 2009, the Ricketts family assumed ownership of the Chicago Cubs and established three main goals for the organization: Win the World Series, Preserve and Improve Wrigley Field, and Be a Good Neighbor. For more information, visit www.cubs.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside DraftKings’ control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see DraftKings’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DraftKings does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
DraftKings Media Contact
media@draftkings.com
@DraftKingsNews
Chicago Cubs Contact
Julian Green
Vice President, Communications and Community Affairs
jgreen@cubs.com
