DraftKings seeking casino partners for sports betting

DraftKings says it has contacted potential casino partners in New Jersey with an eye to offering sports betting if the U.S. Supreme Court legalizes it.

The Supreme Court is considering the state's challenge to a law limiting sports betting to just four states. A ruling could come as early as next week.

DraftKings spokesman James Chisholm said the leading daily fantasy company "is perfectly positioned to succeed in a legal sports betting market."

The company says it has 10 million customers, but adds it has no immediate announcements regarding any deal with a casino and didn't mention plans for other states.

It recently opened an office in Hoboken, New Jersey, about two hours from the state's seven casinos in Atlantic City.

DraftKings is one of many companies expected to move quickly to take advantage of sports betting, should it become legal. Another large daily fantasy sports provider, FanDuel, declined to comment on its plans.

In December, three firms that were jockeying for position in a U.S. legalized sports betting market ended their litigation. Scientific Games acquired NYX Gaming in January, and British betting firm William Hill, which initially opposed the merger, agreed to support it.

New Jersey is taking aim at a 1992 law that forbids state-authorized sports gambling in all but four states that met a 1991 deadline to legalize it: Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. Nevada is the only state to allow single-game wagering.

At least 19 states already have authorized sports betting, pending a favorable court ruling, or have introduced legislation that would do so, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, which tracks state-by-state gambling legislation.

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