New Jersey-based DraftKings Sportsbook announced last week it will be running the first-ever DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship in January. Even though the Keystone State is still waiting on sports betting, Pennsylvania players on the daily fantasy sports (DFS) site can win their way in.
The DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship is a live sports betting contest that will be held in Jersey City, NJ Jan. 11-13. This is the same weekend the NFL divisional playoffs are scheduled.
The Sports Betting National Championship marks the first major US sports betting competition ever held outside Nevada.
The event features a $2.5 million guaranteed prize pool with a $1 million first-place prize. The top 25 finishers will all make the money. Plus the top five will walk away with at least six-figure prizes.
Players do not have to be New Jersey residents to enter. However, they must be 21 or older and in New Jersey attending the event to play.
Getting in the National Championship from PA
The direct buy-in costs of $10,000. However, DraftKings says there are a variety of alternative ways to enter, including at least two available to players from Pennsylvania. These are:
- DFS qualifiers at DraftKings
- Social contests and giveaways
DFS qualifiers and contest and giveaway winners will also receive an accommodation package for the event.
Each player bets with $5,000 bankroll on games in any sport held during the contest’s Friday and Saturday. However, entrants must also bet at least $2,000 on the two Sunday NFL playoff games.
Only bets placed via the DraftKings Sportsbook app will count. The entry with the largest bankroll when the weekend’s action ends is the winner.
SBNC Qualifiers in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania DFS players will find SBNC Qualifier contests in the DraftKings’ DFS contest lobby that offer the opportunity to win entry.
The entry fees for these DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship satellite contests will start as low as $0.10. Plus, they are open to DFS players outside New Jersey in states with legal and regulated DFS markets.
PA residents may have been playing in DFS contest for years, but it wasn’t exactly legal until now.
PA lawmakers legalized DFS contests run by approved operators as part of a gambling expansion package passed in October 2017. The state instituted a 15 percent tax on fantasy sports operators’ adjusted revenue.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approved DraftKings as one of the state’s first DFS operators. The first regulated DFS contests in PA kicked off on the last weekend of April this year.
DraftKings DFS in Pennsylvania
DraftKings has emerged as the state’s top revenue-generating fantasy sports operator. However, it’s in a dogfight with competitor FanDuel for the top spot. The two DFS industry giants combined to make up more than 98 percent of the state’s fantasy sports revenue in August.
Pennsylvania regulations allow anyone 18 years of age or older to participate in DFS contests on approved operators. However, entrants must be 21 or older to enter the DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship in New Jersey.
Legal and regulated sports betting is just getting off the ground in PA. The PGCB approved the state’s first two sports betting license applicants last week. They are:
