DraftKings CEO Jason Robins Says Company Failed To Capture Slots-First Segment
Robins acknowledged shortcomings during a recent chat with Bank of America analysts
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DraftKings CEO Jason Robins conceded his company failed to capture the slots-first customer segment, contributing to the operator’s lag behind rival FanDuel in online casino revenue.
Speaking during a fireside chat with analysts at the Bank of America 2025 Gaming, Lodging & Leisure Conference in New York City last Thursday, as detailed in Monday’s Earnings + More newsletter, Robins said DraftKings had done a “very good job” on cross-selling sports customers to table games and its proprietary crash game called Rocket. But the company “maybe didn’t appreciate” the opportunity of targeting slots-focused players.
The admission comes on the heels of second-quarter earnings reports that showed FanDuel led the second quarter with $507 million in revenue from online slots and table games, which represented a 42% year-over-year bump. DraftKings came in at $430 million in iGaming revenue in the second quarter, for a 22.5% year-over-year increase.
Robins placed responsibility on marketing approach rather than product quality.
“We have the product, we have the games, we have the setup,” he said. But DraftKings had failed to “orient” its sites to focus on slots-first customers. The company is now “making dramatic improvements” and “focusing on the right thing,” he said.
FanDuel did it better
Analysts at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) suggested FanDuel had “ridden a multiyear brand and product overhaul,” which was now reflected in earnings, according to Earnings + More. The research firm identified the female demographic as a “major driver,” with advertising content, slots revenue mix, and app data suggesting rising traction with women players.
The analysts recommended DraftKings better showcase its slots content and potentially use a Queen/King creative dynamic.
“That approach could open new resonance with female customers without abandoning its core sports identity,” the team said, according to the report.
When analysts asked whether the renewed slots push would use either the DraftKings or Golden Nugget brands, Robins said both would be involved. He noted that Flutter’s recent casino success was “not through a separate brand.”
“I’m not convinced that the brand is the problem,” Robins said. “I think it is the way that we have been marketing and who we have been marketing and targeting.”
Robins expressed optimism about future casino performance. If DraftKings gets the mix right and is “even able to get to half of the share that we have of the table games side of the market with slots, we’re going to have a tremendous amount of growth in the next couple of years,” he said.
DraftKings operates iGaming in five states and in Ontario, Canada under its DraftKings brand and in three states under its Golden Nugget Online Gaming brand.
