Drone Racing League Wagers Bring Michigan’s First Sports Betting Oddity

Table tennis mania has taken over Colorado’s sports betting scene. In 2019, New Jersey became the pioneer in introducing regulated Oscars betting. Now, we wonder if Michigan’s betting oddity could be the Drone Racing League.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has recently given its approval for the inclusion of Drone Racing League markets, adding an unconventional competition to the state’s sports wagering menu.

The American Cornhole League is currently under review by the MGCB for inclusion in their catalog, as it has been requested by an operator.

What is the Drone Racing League?

In the Drone Racing League, pilots control drones from the ground, participating in timed heats and live racing events.

In the thrilling world of First Person View (FPV) racing, pilots engage in adrenaline-fueled competitions, equipped with specially-designed goggles that display real-time footage from cameras mounted on their drones. These exhilarating events take place in stadiums across the globe or even virtually within the cutting-edge DRL SIM simulator.

In 2015, the DRL was introduced and its events are broadcasted on NBC, NBC Sports, and also streamed via Twitter.

DRL was launched in 2015, and the drones achieve a speed of 90 mph.

The 2020 DRL season wrapped up earlier this year, and the schedule for the upcoming 2021 season is yet to be revealed. Historically, the season kickstarts in autumn.

DraftKings already tied with DRL

Last November, DraftKings introduced DRL betting by hosting a free-to-play competition, which attracted over 230,000 participants.

In order to boost interest and engagement, the DRL and DraftKings have collaborated to organize exclusive pre-flight shows before the live competitions.

In addition to Colorado, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee, and West Virginia also provide wagering opportunities for the league.

Drone racing not the only offbeat DraftKings partner

DraftKings is striving to be a bold operator in its range of offerings.

According to Johnny Avello, head of race and sportsbook at DraftKings, our offerings include cornhole and we are currently exploring other options like pickleball. We constantly strive to diversify our menu by adding new content such as table tennis, and we will continue to expand our offerings in the future.

The American Cornhole League has entered into an exclusive partnership with DraftKings.

Although the operator has a partnership with Major League Eating, there hasn’t been any demand for it in Michigan so far.

Avello mentioned that drone racing may not be a familiar concept to everyone, requiring some time to adapt. However, at DraftKings, our website offers a wide range of activities and features.

In Colorado, DraftKings also offers the option to place bets on darts.

Can drone racing match Colorado’s love for table tennis?

In the realm of online sports betting, Michigan’s impressive beginning is evident as the total wagers in February surpassed $300 million, setting a remarkable national record for the initial full month.

Colorado saw $6.8 million worth of bets placed on table tennis in February, ranking it as the sixth most popular sport for wagering in the state. The introduction of online sports betting in Colorado during the peak of the pandemic in May contributed to the growing trend, and the sport’s popularity has continued since then.

Will the popularity of Drone Racing League betting grow in Michigan? Keep watching.