Following a probe by a handful of U.S. states as to whether Daily Fantasy Sports constitutes illegal gambling, DraftKings has begun to distance itself from partnerships that may otherwise imply such ties.
That came to fruition on Friday with DraftKings severing of its partnership with the World Series of Poker.
Last year, DraftKings had its advertisements prominently featured at all World Series of Poker events while offering exclusive WSOP-branded contests that awarded entries into the Main Event.
Last week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board ordered all Daily Fantasy Sports companies to cease operating in the state. The World Series of Poker marquee event takes place each summer in Las Vegas.
“In light of last week’s news in Nevada, DraftKings asked us to cease any sponsorship activities around the remaining few W.S.O.P. events of the year, and we complied,” said Seth Palansky, a spokesman for the World Series of Poker.
In recent days, DraftKings and FanDuels each cancelled their own championship events slated to take place in Nevada over the coming months.
“This is a result of daily fantasy sports no longer being authorized in Nevada,” Sabrina Macias, a spokeswoman for DraftKings, said.
– Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com