Q&A: DraftKings Predictions SVP Talks Launch, Future Plans
DraftKings Predictions has gone live in 38 states, bringing one of the biggest names in online gaming into the prediction market industry. Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto, Senior Vice President of DraftKings Predictions, spoke with Covers Senior Editor, Ryan, about the launch, responsible trading tools and what differentiates the platform from a growing number of competitors.
Ryan Butler: By launching Friday, one of the biggest names in daily fantasy sports and real money sports betting is now offering sports event contracts. What does DraftKings’ entry into this space mean for the prediction market industry?
Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto: I think it's a transformational moment for the prediction markets overall. I think you’re seeing a rapid growth in the overall space. We're excited to be part of that growth, and to lean into that and help evolve these markets to what they're going to be for the future. It's a really exciting moment for us.
RB: A year ago prediction markets were not well known. Now they’re a multibillion-dollar industry. Could you explain and quantify the work DraftKings undertook across 2025 that went into this launch?
JH: You're right, there's definitely a tremendous amount of work that went into standing up DraftKings Predictions. We've covered almost every vertical in terms of establishing the business, including a new financial services vertical which incorporates licensing from that perspective – and all of the burdens that go along with licensing requirements.
We've touched all of the areas of the company that are going to be part of the product. Of course, that includes technology, our onboarding system, our KYC, our user interfaces and our customer service team. Regulatory compliance is a huge part of this, making sure our customers' funds are safeguarded and segregated in the way that they need to be for a financial product.
And then, even going above and beyond what's required to stand up this product by incorporating things like responsible trading into the product from the get-go so that we're ahead of that curve in terms of meeting with what we know our customers will need and want.
RB: The responsible trading part is a huge piece of this as well. What are some customer protections in that area for DraftKings Predictions users?
JH: Responsible trading is a core part of the platform as we go live. Our platform is a standalone app, so it isn't integrated with the rest of the DraftKings products, but there is a responsible training component to it, the same one that has set the standard in this field for our sportsbook business.
We know how to take this to the next level for our trading programs. We have a way to mirror, as best we can, what we already have in responsible gaming for our responsible trading offering. That includes self-exclusion. It also includes cool-offs, deposit limits, and educational materials so that customers can benefit from all of the things that we've learned in the sportsbook business as we are entering the trading business.
RB: Friday’s launch brings DraftKings Predictions to more than three-dozen states. What can users expect to see?
JH: We are super excited to enter the marketplace with 38 states where we will be offering DraftKings predictions. Some states will have all of our products available while others will have non-sports products, but it does allow us to enter key markets, including California, Texas, Florida and Georgia with a sports trading product for event contracts in those states, as well as others.
From there we will be adding product and content to the platform as the business evolves. We're really looking forward to being able to provide our customers with a very broad breadth of content across not only sports, but as well as financial products, weather, cultural events, economic events, and everything that can be thought up and dreamt up for prediction markets.
RB: As more companies enter the space, what separates DraftKings Predictions market from its competitors?
JH: So there's many things that are in our strength area for prediction markets, but some of the bigger ones are really the fact that we, as a sports-first company, have a tremendous network of media partners of sports content, of relationships in this space, as well as our broad breadth of access across all 50 states today.
We're really well suited for this type of user that's used to the customer experience, that's used to our promotional programs, that's used to the way that we service them as a as a sports company and we'll really be able to provide a great experience in sports products as well as other products. I think you'll see us as a leader in the space very soon based on the great experience that we've had in our other business verticals in terms of our ecosystem, our technology and our ability to adapt and build in this space.
RB: As the larger prediction market industry is facing legal scrutiny that sports event contracts are no different than sports gambling, how do you clarify and explain to regulators and customers that this product is a separate platform, independent of regulated gambling, that this is going to withstand legal scrutiny?
JH: So I'm not the person that's making a decision on these contracts in terms of how the courts will rule or find on this space. It's not my place to decide. But when you look at the underpinnings, the mechanics of this marketplace, it functions wholly differently than a sportsbook. It is a federally regulated marketplace. The contracts are filed with the CFTC. The marketplaces are anonymously traded. They're fair and they're transparent and they operate in a way that's much more like a stock exchange than a sportsbook.
In terms of trading against others in the market, there's not a house for these products. So while the products, yes, are event contracts on the sporting event, the market mechanics, how they're built, how they're structured, how they're regulated, wholly differ from a sportsbook.
RB: In short, what else would you like others to know about DraftKings Predictions?
JH: We're super excited for the launch today and we're off to a great start.
