DraftKings Hires Sean Hurley as Head of Sportsbook

It’s official. Preparations are underway at DraftKings to pivot to sports betting should the Supreme Court rule in favor of New Jersey in the Garden State’s quest to repeal the federal sports betting prohibition.

On Monday, DraftKings announced it has hired Sean Hurley in the newly-created role of Head of Sportsbook. DraftKings explained in the announcement that Hurley’s job will be to lead the fantasy site in pursuing sports betting as a new line of business in anticipation of sports betting becoming legal in the United States.

The press release further notes that Sean Hurley will be located at the new DraftKings office in Hoboken, New Jersey. Details regarding Hurley’s exact job duties are lacking at this point other than he has been tasked to “build, launch and drive the sports betting vertical at DraftKings.”

Hurley’s prior experience certainly seems apt for the job. His last role was Head of Commercial for Amelco UK, which provides sports betting odds and solutions for some of the largest international betting sites. Amelco clients include the likes of William Hill, Ladbrokes, Betfair, PokerStars and the Hong Kong Jockey Club among others.

Further Confirmation of DraftKings’ Intentions

Despite spending the last few years doing everything in its power to convince lawmakers around the country that the website has nothing to do with gambling, DraftKings has not been shy in signaling its intentions now that legal sports betting in the USA has become a realistic possibility.

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said in an interview earlier this month the company would “certainly” attack the sports betting market pending a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court. With this latest news, we can see DraftKings isn’t just talking about gearing up for sports betting; DraftKings is taking action now.

Nothing is guaranteed yet, but DraftKings Sportsbook will be in prime position to pounce if New Jersey gets the ruling it seeks from the Supreme Court. That ruling is expected to come within months, and a decision in favor of New Jersey is likely to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) on constitutional grounds.

PASPA was enacted in 1992 and prevents all states except Nevada from legalizing single-game sports betting. New Jersey began its challenge of the prohibition in 2012 with the passage of a law seeking to legalize sports betting at local casinos and race tracks. The NCAA and four professional sports leagues sued New Jersey, and that case has since moved all the way up to the Supreme Court.

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of New Jersey and strikes down PASPA, all US states will immediately gain the ability to legalize and regulate sports betting if they choose. New Jersey already has legislation in the works, but is hardly the only state interested in legalizing, regulating and taxing what would likely become a multibillion-dollar industry.

DraftKings’ latest hiring decision also likely comes as somewhat of a necessity. Just two weeks ago, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement director David Rebuck encouraged organizations interested in potentially offering sports betting in New Jersey to “commence the application process” in order for state regulators to waste as little time as possible between a Supreme Court decision and approval for the first sports betting businesses in New Jersey.