News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. April 12, 2022: DraftKings, in a partnership with Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is about to bring its sports betting offerings to Puerto Rico in both the online and the retail format. Upon obtaining licensing and regulatory approval, the DraftKings retail casino will be located inside the premises of Foxwoods El San Juan Casino.
At the time of writing, DraftKings is one of the biggest gambling brands in the US. It has a legal presence across several US states, including Arizona, Colorado, and Connecticut. It recently made its way into the NY market, and many NY online gambling sites feature DraftKings in their listings.
If all goes well and the DraftKings retail sportsbook gets greenlit by the regulatory powers, the grand opening is only a couple of weeks away (however, no concrete date has been set). Once live, this will be more than just a regular sportsbook venue. The goal is to create a wholesome betting experience that features six betting kiosks, two over-the-counter ticket windows, a video wall, a restaurant, and a bar.
Aside from sports betting, bettors in Puerto Rico will also enjoy DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports offerings. Currently, its availability covers 44 states in the US and six other international markets.
El San Juan Casino will become known as Foxwoods El San Juan Casino as part of the grand reopening. Reportedly, the redevelopment costs came to $137.5m, including reopening the Tropicoro entertainment venue and other resort enhancements.
Matt Kalish, co-founder and president of DraftKings North America is happy to be seeing massive success ever since partnering with Foxwoods and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation over a year ago. He ascribes it to how well the two organizations have collaborated throughout the months and are inclined to share their customer-centric vision and approach to doing business.
Since Puerto Rico is known for its vibrant sports culture, the partners will step in to provide a stellar service, coupled with a legal and safe environment where betting enthusiasts will be able to place their bets, both online and offline.
Rodney Butler, the chairman of Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is delighted to partner with DraftKings, claiming to have made tremendous strides in the sports gaming space during their collaboration and marking it as a valuable online and retail partner. Expanding into Porto Rico, he has no doubt the two will be able to secure further victories in the mission of creating unforgettable memories for sports betting fans and other customers.
The property had a soft launch in November 2021, and many strong personalities attended the opening event. This includes Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico Governor), Jason Guyot (CEO and President of Foxwoods), José Carlos Aponte Dalmau (Mayor of Carolina), Tribal Council members, and many others.
During last year’s opening ceremony, Governor Pierluisi made a statement. He shared his thoughts on the economic benefits the Foxwoods El San Juan casino reopening will bring. He believes this will amount to 150+ jobs being created in concrete numbers. He remains committed to the area’s economic development and is certain this will attract both tourists and investors alike.
The legalization of sports betting in Connecticut opened the doors to several market developments. About a month after the grand event, Foxwoods dedicated a 12.000 square foot area to the DraftKings sportsbook, where customers are free to take part in several sports betting and iGame products. The very first bet was placed during the opening ceremony, and it was by none other than Kendrick Perkins, a former American professional basketball player that used to play for the Boston Celtics.