FanDuel vs Draftkings: Which Sportsbook to Choose & Why

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Subsequent to the  landmark Supreme Court decision on legalizing sports betting the competition between US sportsbooks  has a grown at a steady pase. Top bookmakers are relentless in their pursuit of an ever growing market shares, leading to a continues improvement of playing conditions for gamblers. Perhaps the most notorious among these pursuits is The Duel between DraftKings and Fanduel. Clear leaders of the American gambling sector, these top dogs are in stiff competition to attract users to their respective platforms. Naturallay, both are constantly innovating to offer increasingly more attrcative welcome bonuses to both new account sign ups and existing players alike. We have weighed in on the comparison, highlighting some of the more important considerations to make in order to select wich one of the two operartors is right for you.

FanDuel vs Draftkings: Comparison & Exclusive Promo Codes

Welcome Bonus: Draftkings Wins 

Of course, the welcome promotion is one of the most attractive factors in selecting a fantasy site. We give the edge to FanDuel here.

FanDuel

• Fantasy: free $5 before deposit + $5 after deposit
• Sports: free $500 risk-free bet
• Racebook: $200 risk-free bet

DraftKings

• Fantasy: free $20 on first deposit
• Sports: up to $500 deposit match bonus + $500 risk free bets*

We give a concise and helpful explanation on the welcome bonus for each section on both sites.

FanDuel: free $5 before deposit + $5 after deposit

This offer gives new users free $5 immediately after registration without the need of a deposit. After the deposit then, free $5 is added, pegging the total sports bonus at $10. This bonus is available for 30 days.  

VS

DraftKings: free $20 on first deposit

The DraftKings’ fantasy welcome bonus gives $20 upon your first deposit. This bonus is available for use within 30 days.

Our Thoughts

The prospect of a free $5 without a deposit may be enticing as well as another addition upon the first deposit. However, the first $5 bonus cannot be used on withdrawable stakes until the first deposit is made. This, in turn, makes the bonus slightly less lucrative. Its value becomes purely play orinted as it can’t be used until the first deposit is made.

On the other hand, the $20 offered by DraftKings on the first deposit may not seem large but its more than the amount offered by FanDuel. Consequently we nomintae Draftkings as the winner of the welcome bonus setion in 2024. 

• FanDuel Fantasy Welcome Bonus: 4/5.
• DraftKings Fantasy Welcome Bonus: 4.5/5.

FanDuel: free $500 risk-free bet

FanDuel offers a risk-free first deposit promo on bets not higher than $500. To simplify, the first deposit amount poses no risk to new players, provided it is below or at most $500. Should the stake loses, the cash used will be refunded to your account in 72 hours. If the bet wins however, you are cleared, and the cash will be available for payout: it’s basically the same amount you put in whether you lose or win.

First deposit required, max $500 deposit, sportsbook only, one-time offer, risk-free, refund in cases of a loss, payout available in case of a win, applicable to all sportsbook bets, max -200 odds, expires 30 days after registration, 21+.

DraftKings: free $200 risk-free bet + $500 bonus prize available

This offer offers a risk-free first deposit on bets up to $200. That is, on your first sports stake, you are guaranteed the cash used in playing regardless of the outcome. If the stake loses, you are refunded with the exact amount used: $50 for $50, $100 for $100… In event of a win, the winning is available for cash out. In addition to this however, you can win up to $500 if there’s an exclusive ongoing sports promotion.

Ts & C’s

First deposit required, max $200 deposit, one-time offer, risk-free (refundable in case you lose), winnings can be cashed out, available for only 30 days after receival, 21+.

Our Thoughts

Both FanDuel and DraftKings offer a very similar welcome bonus on sports, but after the christmas holidays and leading up to 2020 Draftkings began offering a sign up bonus of up to $1,000 clearly standing out as a more risk free bet offer. 

• FanDuel: 4/5.
  • DraftKings: 4.5/5.

FanDuel: offers a $200 risk-free bet on first deposits on the racebook section. 

Sign-up period must be between 12:00am PT on December 16, 2019 and 11:59pm PT on March 19, 2020, new TVG accounts held by 21+ and stay in operational states, new 4NJbets account holders who are above 18 and stay legally in New Jersey, code required: WINTER; WINTER 1; WINTER 2, a win, win/place, win/show or win/place/show bet must be placed 15 days after sign-up, no exotic wager, bonus receivable 5 days after staking, TVG operational states include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and many more.

VS

DraftKings. This site released its first odds on horse racing just in August 2019. There is no set welcome bonus on the racebook section yet.

• FanDuel: 4/5.
• DraftKings: N/A

Sportsbook & Odds: DraftKings Wins 

FanDuel and DraftKings are comprehensive in their sports collection as both possess a lot of major sports and markets, as well as offer similar odds. DraftKings however takes the lead due to the presence of some unique niche sports that are unavailable at FanDuel.

Sports available at both sites are:

1. NBA
2. MLB
3. Soccer
4. NASCAR
5. Golf
6. Tennis
7. College Football
8. College Basketball

The special games available at DraftKings but absent on FanDuel are:

1. EuroLeague Basketball
2. Canadian Football League
3. Arena Football League
4. MMA
5. Esports

DraftKings, since its inception, has come to be a forerunner in the sports industry, while FanDuel has closely followed. The sports collection however shows a major difference in gulf and we expect this to change soon. There have been recent talks of MMA being added to FanDuel very soon. 

Sports Available

This is the available number of sports available for play at a sportsbook. Top-quality sports make the gambling experience enjoyable and fulfilling. Keep in mind always that the larger the sports collection, the better the fun.

Our Thoughts

In this regard, it is clear that DraftKings wins. The site has five unique sports that FanDuel does not offer. The site has shown no signs of relenting if recent news is to be believed (and there’s no reason not to). This does not mean that FanDuel’s collection is poor, after all it also offers an exclusive racebook section.

• FanDuel: 4/5.
• DraftKings: 4.5/5.

Bonus for existing players: DraftKings Wins 

NBA:  FanDuel VS DraftKings

NBA is seen as the second most popular sport in fantasy gaming, right after NFL. 

It is obvious that NBA tournaments aren’t as massive as NFL’s, but they are quite huge too, particularly if compared to other sports.

FanDuel and DraftKings offer the same NBA grand tournament although the name differs, the prize money on both sites is $100, 000. Other distinguishing factors are:

• the number of participants: FanDuel (95, 238) VS Draft Kings (66, 100)
• entry fee: FanDuel ($5) VS DraftKings ($8)
• lowest prizes won: FanDuel ($8) VS DraftKings ($12)
• places paid: FanDuel (22, 300) VS DraftKings (15, 420)
• Title: FanDuel ($400k NBA Shot) VS DraftKings ($450k Excellent 8s)

Apart from this grand tournament, both sites offer numerous prize points on different games. 

NFL: FanDuel VS DraftKings

NFL is the most popular sport in fantasy and sports betting, and both sites meet expectations. In the NFL season, there are massive games available in the lobbies every week. The grand weekly event is however a Guaranteed Prize Pool that promises a whopping $1, 000, 000. 

• the number of participants: FanDuel 330, 687) VS Draft Kings (205, 800)
• entry fee: FanDuel ($9) VS DraftKings ($20)
• lowest prizes won: FanDuel ($8) VS DraftKings ($12)
• places paid: FanDuel (76, 075 ) VS DraftKings (43, 350)
• Title: FanDuel ($2.5M Sunday Million) VS DraftKings ($3.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire)

Yearly, the two competitors organize the Fantasy World Football Championship, the greatest of all competitions. 

This year, FanDuel held its Fantasy World Football Championship in Puerto Rico, with 80 contestants vying for a $2, 000, 000 prize pool of which the grand prize was $500, 000.

In contrast, the DraftKings Fantasy World Football Championship had 180 contenders up for a $10, 000, 000 prize pool, with the grand prize pegged at an incredible $2, 000, 000. 

There are other nice side-attractions too if you take eyes off the millionaire events. Both sites hold smaller events, head-to-head matchups and 50/50 leagues among many others.

Weekly tournaments

This offer gives old players the chance to win $1, 000, 000 on NFL and NBA sports for a little entry fee. This bonus is a nice incentive for players as they are enticed by the prospect of winning.

Our thoughts

It might be confusing to select a clear winner in this division: both after all offer the same grand prize, but critical assessment gives the edge to FanDuel. First, the entry fee is cheaper and this impact can be seen in the number of participants that exceeds DraftKings’ stat by almost 30, 000. FanDuel’s dominance in this field is apparent.

• FanDuel: 4.5/5.
• DraftKings: 4/5.

Annual Tournaments

There are several annual tournaments on major sports, such as NFL and NBA. These tournaments hold a lot of fantastic promises for players. The grandest of these tournaments is the Fantasy World Football Championship.

Our Thoughts

There can only be one winner here. The weekly tournaments might even DraftKings with FanDuel, but the Fantasy World Football Championship definitely sets it higher. The pool and grand prize are impressively higher and there is a wider coverage. We readily give it to DraftKings.

• FanDuel: 4/5.
• DraftKings: 5/5.

Final Thoughts: Which One to Choose?

As we saw throughout the comparison of the two sportsbooks, there are a lot of stuff to consider. The promotions that both operators offer are really interesting. At the same time, the ergonomy of both sites and what features they have to offer are also pretty good. The final choice is up to you!

Learn here more about both operators:

• Fanduel Sportsbook Promo Code 

• Draftkings Promo Code 

 

*Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA) or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN only) or 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA only). 21+. NJ/IN/WV/PA/IA only. Bonus comprised of a first deposit bonus and a first bet match, each up to $500. Min. $5 deposit. Deposit bonus is in DK Dollars which have no cash value and must be used on DraftKings. Bonus requires 25x Play-Thru. Offer not valid for users physically located in NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

last update : April 2024