DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship: Explained

Editors Note: The DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship last happened in 2021. If the event ever returns, we will update this page.

The annual DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship debuted in 2019 and now stands as the world’s largest online sports betting contest. The most recent edition guaranteed $2 million in prize money, including $1 million for the winner and payouts for the next 24 top finishers.

The three-day event runs near the end of the NFL season every year and is open to fans nationwide. Entry is steep at $10,000, but players can win their way in via DraftKings Fantasy satellites and pools to take a shot at a fraction of the cost.

How the DraftKings Sports Betting Championship Works

The DraftKings Sports Betting Championship is a handicapping contest. Players buy-in for $10,000 or win a seat via satellites and compete to see who can build the biggest bankroll betting on sports.

Half the entry fee goes straight to the prize pool, and half is reserved for each entrant’s betting bankroll.

Once the contest begins, players have three days to grow their starting bankrolls of $5,000 by betting on the NFL, NBA, and college football. At the conclusion of the tournament, the players with the largest bankrolls earn prizes ranging from $1,000,000 for first place to $10,000 for 25^th.

DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship Prizes

The National Championship guarantees at least $1 million for the winner and another $1 million for the remaining positions. However, prize pools can grow even larger if enough people enter to exceed the guarantee.

Last year’s edition paid the following prizes to each of the top-25 entrants:

• 1^st: $1,000,000 + ticket to Tournament of Champions
• 2^nd: $250,000
• 3^rd: $125,000
• 4^th: $100,000
• 5^th: $75,000
• 6^th: $60,000
• 7^th: $50,000
• 8^th: $40,000
• 9^th: $30,000
• 10^th: $25,000
• 11^th: $24,000
• 12^th: $23,000
• 13^th: $22,000
• 14^th: $21,000
• 15^th: $20,000
• 16^th: $19,000
• 17^th: $18,000
• 18^th: $17,000
• 19^th: $16,000
• 20^th: $15,000
• 21^st-25^th: $10,000

How To Enter The DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship

Fans can enter from across the country and compete in person in New Jersey or place their wagers from any state where DraftKings offer mobile sports betting (see up-to-date list of DraftKings Sportsbook states here.)

There are three ways to enter the DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship:

• $10,000 direct buy-in: Contact DraftKings for instructions on buying in directly for $10,000 via credit card, ACH, PayPal, or wire transfer
• Win a seat via daily fantasy qualifier: Visit the DraftKings Fantasy lobby and use the contest types filter to see all open satellites
• Win a seat via DraftKings sports pool: Visit DraftKings Sportsbook, select the “Pools” tab, and enter a public qualifier

Sports Betting Championship Rules

The DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship costs $10,000 to enter, and players may purchase one entry each. Of that amount, $4,500 goes to the prize pool, $5,000 remains as each contestant’s bankroll, and $500 goes to DraftKings.

After buying in, players use their $5,000 bankrolls to place real-money wagers on NFL, NBA, and college football games. The entrants with the largest bankrolls at the end of the contest receive payouts according to the above paytable.

Entrants must place at least $1,000 worth of wagers during the championship to qualify for payouts and keep 100% of their winnings after the contest.

Entrants must be 21 or older to participate and may join from anywhere.

Players who live in states where DraftKings Sportsbook offers mobile betting can compete remotely, but everyone else must either travel to one of those states or place their wagers in-person at DraftKings’ VIP Sportsbook in New Jersey.

DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship Controversy

It took DraftKings a couple of iterations to work out the kinks in its Sports Betting National Championship since debuting the contest in 2019.

The first edition proceeded well enough until the final day, which included two Sunday NFL games. When the first Sunday NFL game ran almost until the second game’s kickoff, entrants who had bet on the first game found themselves unable to bet on the second one because their wagers on the first were still outstanding.

As a result, at least one entrant who looked very likely to win the top prize ended up unable to place a single wager on the second game.

DraftKings canceled the 2020 National Championship due to coronavirus-related disruptions and returned in 2021 with its second edition. The 2021 Sports Betting National Championship also ended in controversy, but this time due to technical mishaps.

After the 2021 contest kicked off, some entrants could place wagers of any size, while others were subjected to betting limits so strict they couldn’t even wager a dollar on the day’s games.

DraftKings quickly addressed the issue by refunding anyone who lost money during the contest. As a result, every entrant left the 2021 National Sports Betting Championship with at least $10,000.

Mishaps in each of DraftKings’ first two Sports Betting Championships do not inspire a lot of confidence, but all contestants in the 2021 edition were made whole, and it continued smoothly after.

DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship FAQ