DraftKings
Jamie Shea Urges United States Betting Brands to Embrace Player Education
Strive Gaming Chief Marketing Officer tells Xtremepush podcast Experts in the Room in-play betting has the potential to take off as it has in Europe
Sportsbooks in the United States must focus on educating bettors about the availability and benefits of in-play betting for a profitable future, according to Strive Gaming’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jamie Shea (pictured).
Speaking as a guest on a forthcoming edition of Xtremepush’s podcast series Experts in the Room, the industry leader and former VP of Sportsbook at DraftKings stressed that live betting has so far only reached a fraction of its potential in the country.
That’s despite it being more than five years since the first legal online bets in the United States outside of Nevada were placed with DraftKings in New Jersey.
Also key to profitability is a concerted push to retain expensively acquired players, Shea argues, with increased personalisation favored above expensive blanket bonusing.
“The education of the player is the best retention tool as it teaches them how to play,” said Shea, speaking to Xtremepush’s New Business Account Executive and podcast host, Will Hansen. “A lot of the time, customers just don’t even realize that certain bets exist. One of the things that’s driving me crazy right now in the United States industry is in-play. Why is that not bigger? Seventy per cent of bets should be in-play, as they are in Europe, because it’s fun and provides instant gratification.
“I would love to see that happen in the United States. We need to educate the players on how it works and where they can find it in an app and that’s where push notifications come in. Brands should be doing all they can to let the customer know that hey, there is this wager available and it’s a lot of fun. Every time that I’ve sat down with people and taught them how it works, they love it and it becomes their go-to.”
Shea also stressed that United States operators’ acquisition budgets need to be more in line with player lifetime values, a trend which is already in motion.
“After the first bet on August 1st, 2018, in New Jersey, it was a free-for-all,” she added. “Nobody knew what should be done or how it should be done, just that they wanted as many active customers as possible. And so it was a bonus here, a bonus there.
“Unfortunately, as everybody came to realize, this set the customer up with an expectation that isn’t realistic, because those offers can’t last forever. It also created a lot of promiscuity within the different brands through ‘promo hunters’ and it started to become a race to the bottom. Nobody was profitable.
“Having Strive Gaming and Xtremepush in the United States market allows for so much more targeted marketing, so that bonuses aren’t just thrown at everyone. It allows us to look at what resonates with certain player types as a targeted and measured approach.”
In line with the data-led approach to personalized offerings, Shea also stressed that detecting problematic player behavior is of paramount importance for United States-focused platform provider Strive Gaming.
“For me, it’s a very personal topic,” she said. “I grew up with my dad losing his business and that’s because gaming was not regulated. Nobody was texting him and asking him how he was doing back in 1984. One of the great things about having all of this data available is you can look to see, has someone changed their behavior dramatically?
“I’m very cognizant of player interactions with us. Our customer service team is extremely well-trained to notice when certain trigger words, for example, suggest a person might be having a problem. We can’t be their therapist. We can’t know everything they are thinking. But what we can do is provide the right tools to enable people to keep enjoying sports betting and iGaming, in a very responsible manner that isn’t going to affect their lives.”
A new report by Sweeps Pulse estimates American bettors will place total bets amounting to about $3.1 billion on the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This represents the most extensive single sport betting event ever conducted inside the US. The estimate also exceeds the $1.8 billion projected amount for wagers placed on the Super Bowl in 2024. Both amounts represent growth in the legal sports betting market. The 2026 football competition will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Projected Betting Breakdown (2026 FIFA World Cup)
• $1.6 billion via licensed U.S. sportsbook apps
• $920 million via offshore and unlicensed platforms
• $380 million via retail sportsbook locations
• $200 million via sweepstakes and social sports formats
Why This Tournament is Different
There have been no previous World Cups where there is serious U.S. betting volume. This is due to the mobile sports betting being non existent in the U.S. for a large part of the time leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. There is now a huge difference when it comes to how mature (and big) the market is in 2026; all major players in the space are already established; they each have their own significant budgets to promote their brand(s); and users have developed four years worth of habits using the NFL, NBA, and College Sports to bet on games.
Another fact is that many of the 2026 World Cup games will be held in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami will generate much more local involvement.
The Mobile Factor
In terms of placement (mobile apps) it is estimated that 68% of all World Cup bets will be made using mobile apps. This is compared to an estimate of 41% of all bets taken in the 2018 World Cup. The sportsbooks have committed to spending an estimated $400 million on promotions related to the World Cup. These promotions include but are not limited to; Deposit Matches, Odds Boosts, Free-Bets, and other promotions targeting new soccer bettors.
Key mobile betting statistics:
• Average user session time per game is 23 minutes during major soccer events. Major soccer events average 38% longer than NFL regular season games.
• There is an expectation that live in-game betting will make up 44% of the total World Cup wagered amount.
• FanDuel and DraftKings are expected to take approximately 58% of the licensed app volumes.
The Soccer Audience is Younger and Growing
There are many factors that contribute to an increase in betting at this time. One major factor contributing to the surge in bets at this time is demographics. The data collected from surveys shows that 61% of Gen Z sports bettors have soccer as one of their top 3 wagering sports, while only 29% of bettors who are over 50 years old identify soccer as one of their top 3 wagering sports. This trend demonstrates how the demographics of the sports-betting population are changing.
The post Americans Expected to Bet More Than $3B on the 2026 FIFA World Cup appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
DraftKings announced its intent to launch its online sports betting and casino products in Alberta, Canada, pending licensure and regulatory approval. If granted approval, DraftKings Sportsbook and Casino intends to be available on the province’s anticipated universal launch date of July 13, 2026, as set by the AGLC.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to expand DraftKings’ footprint in Canada and bring our online sportsbook and casino experiences to customers in Alberta. With the anticipated launch aligning with the World Cup — hosted right here in North America — it’s a particularly exciting moment for sports fans in the province to engage with our platform,” said Greg Karamitis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports at DraftKings.
Alberta would represent the second province in Canada where DraftKings operates mobile sports betting and casino products, alongside Ontario. It would also mark the 34th jurisdiction in North America where DraftKings offers online sports betting, and seventh with online casino.
Eligible Alberta residents can pre-register for DraftKings Sportsbook and Casino ahead of the expected launch.
The post DraftKings Announces Intent to Launch Online Sportsbook and Casino in Alberta, Canada appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
DraftKings has launched its online sportsbook in Puerto Rico, further expanding DraftKings top-rated product to sports fans across the island. DraftKings’ online sportsbook is available to Puerto Rico residents beginning February 23, 2026, following the recent opening of the DraftKings retail sportsbook at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino in November.
DraftKings’ online sportsbook is currently only available to residents of Puerto Rico. Eligible new customers must register in person at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino before accessing the online sportsbook. Once registration is completed on-site, local customers will have full access to DraftKings’ online sportsbook features, including same-game parlays, in-game wagering, and special odds boosts, across a wide range of sporting events and leagues such as MLB, NFL, NBA, and more.
Non-residents are not currently eligible to access DraftKings’ online sportsbook in Puerto Rico. However, visitors may place wagers in person at the DraftKings retail sportsbook located at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino.
“Puerto Rico has a passionate sports community and launching our online sportsbook allows us to meet fans where they are. With retail already live at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino, mobile represents the next step in expanding the DraftKings experience across the island—giving eligible local customers a seamless, exciting, and responsible way to engage with sports,” said Gregory Karamitis, DraftKings Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports.
Responsible gaming remains a shared priority for DraftKings, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and Foxwoods El San Juan Casino. DraftKings offers a comprehensive suite of responsible gaming tools, including My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet, available through the DraftKings Responsible Gaming Center to help customers play responsibly.
The post DraftKings Launches Online Sportsbook in Puerto Rico appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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