DraftKings Debuts Pick6, New Peer-to-Peer Fantasy Game

Posted on: December 6, 2023, 02:18h. 

Last updated on: December 6, 2023, 02:24h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

DraftKings on Wednesday announced the launch of Pick6, a new peer-to-peer fantasy sports game rooted in the more or less concept.

DraftKings
Employees at DraftKings headquarters. The company debuted its Pick6 fantasy game on Wednesday. (Image: CNBC)

The debut of Pick6 arrived almost three months after DraftKings filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a  new fantasy game that would put the operator in more direct competition with Prize Picks and Underdog Sports. In recent years, those companies gained prominence by offering alternatives, including more or less games, to the standard daily fantasy sports (DFS) popularized by DraftKings and FanDuel.

As with all DraftKings fantasy variants, Pick6 customers will compete peer-to-peer for guaranteed prizes. The product is simple: customers can build a lineup of two to six players from two or more teams, choosing more or less of a statistic for every athlete on their team,” according to a statement issued by the Boston-based gaming company.

Pick6 currently features NBA and NFL contests. DraftKings didn’t say whether or not that will expand to include the NHL, which is in season now, or Major League Baseball (MLB) when that league’s 2024 campaign kicks off.

Pick6 Arrived Following PrizePicks, Underdog Controversies

DraftKings’ Pick6 launched in the wake of state-level controversies involving PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy, scenarios those operators believe were stoked by DraftKings and FanDuel. The crux of the argument has been that companies like PrizePicks and Underdog are offering DFS games that more closely resemble sports wagering in states that don’t permit that activity.

That’s relevant because Underdog and some of its comparable competitors operate in states coveted by the sports betting industry. Currently, Underdog offers fantasy games in 41 states and fantasy pick ‘em games in 39 states. Underdog is operational in California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas, none of which have competitive sports wagering markets.

On a related note, DraftKings’ Pick6 debuted in Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Of that group, only Maryland and Tennessee allow mobile sports betting, though Wisconsin permits sports wagering at tribal casinos.

Given the current lay of the US sports betting land, South Carolina is one of the least likely states to join the party anytime soon, and multiple efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota have failed.

DraftKings Teases Progressive Parlay Debut

In addition to the launch of Pick6, DraftKings noted its progressive parlay product is coming soon. Progressive parlays allow bettors to receive some compensation if they get one or more legs of a parlay wrong.

While Pick6 is DraftKings’ latest fantasy sports variant, the company also recently revealed ‘Progressive Parlay’ as an upcoming new and more inclusive feature within its top-rated sports betting product,” added the operator. “Progressive Parlay is a regulated sports betting wager made against the house that involves placing a parlay bet on player props, with a chance to win even if one or more legs of the parlay lose.”

At a recent industry conference, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins mentioned the launch of the progressive parlay offering is just a few weeks away.