We could be getting Ohio sportsbooks sooner than we thought. Momentum is growing after the Ohio Casino Control Commission cleared step two of the proposed five–step process.
Ohio will be one of the biggest markets in the country when it officially launches, thanks to its population and combination of unique sports markets.
Sports betting fans will have multiple options of how and where to place their bets. Today we will review two of the more popular online sportsbooks, FanDuel and DraftKings, to offer an idea of which one suits your needs.
DraftKings goes deep and dark
The first thing that stands out about the DraftKings platform: It’s dark. The color scheme is black with green key numbers. There are little green megaphones next to the rail items. I have to admit it took me a while to learn what those mean (namely, a live odds boost).
Making a deposit is easy. Setting up a bet, easy. DraftKings has a rail down the left side showing which sports are available. Click on that and the day‘s events pop up.
Next you’ll find the standard three-box wager platform: betting line, moneyline, and over/under.
DraftKings offers more content under those options. Looking for stories on college basketball betting? They have them. They even have a podcast.
Blue and Through at FanDuel
The FanDuel sports betting app uses a blue and white color scheme. On my first visit, the home page directed me right to the big event of the day: the NCAA men’s basketball national title game between Kansas and North Carolina.
FanDuel offers prop after prop. They beat DraftKings at this one. I lost track counting.
There were a ton of player props, over/under totals on points scored and even totals set for rebounds. You could bet on the exact number of points scored in the game, anywhere from 126 to 183.
Comparing DraftKings and FanDuel
I lined up the two screens side by side to see what each offers that the other one doesn’t.
DraftKings has curling, lacrosse, and even college lacrosse offerings.
FanDuel has snooker and horse racing through its TVG partner. The apps share everything else.
They both have lines on the NFL Hall of Fame game in Canton on Aug. 4. That’s four months away. The Raiders are 1-point favorites over the Jaguars on DraftKings, 1.5 at FanDuel. FanDuel already has a parlay available for the game.
I like the color scheme on FanDuel better, but the site is nowhere near as deep.
DraftKings has a quick and easy way to find your team and then bet on their performance that day. With so many different options, it was kind of nice to be able to click on Ohio State and get right to it.
What about the promotions?
Each has easy-to-find promotions for new users.
Again, DraftKings gets the edge here for depth and value. DraftKings offered a new user bonus of 20 percent up to $1,000. So if your initial deposit is $5,000 you would get another $1,000 in your account. DraftKings also has daily free to play pools, and you can earn “crowns” for free credits. That’s pretty standard.
The biggest FanDuel promotion was a new customer betting $5 to win $150 in credit.
What’s the Final Line?
Give both sites credit for keeping responsible gambling education at the top of each page. DraftKings displayed a blue ribbon in March for Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
I think FanDuel has a bit better look and feel. I like the multiple parlays, as you can really get lost in them. DraftKings does go the extra mile. It almost has more of a sports–history feel to it. You can find the scoreboards for the last few Masters golf tournaments, but I don’t need stories and I definitely don’t need another podcast.
FanDuel is a good site for someone who is new to sports betting and looking to understand how it all works, the various rhythms, and offerings. DraftKings is better for someone with a bit more invested.
Now let’s see if either one is active in Ohio by the time the NFL Hall of Fame game comes around.
