Former Chicago Bear Kyle Long made history as he placed the first bet at the new DraftKings Sportsbook in near Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The former lineman placed a $100 bet on the Chicago Cubs to win this year’s World Series. The Cubs last won a World Series title in 2016.
“I think it was an easy bet to place here,” Long said about his predictions. “It’s bringing people together. That’s what DraftKings is all about, and I think that’s why DraftKings brought me in, because it’s a people business.”
DraftKings started offering retail sports betting adjacent to the historic ballpark on March 8. Located at 1012 West Addison Street, the two-story betting venue debuted in June, but the company had to wait for the Chicago City Council to lift the home rule ban on sports betting before applying for a sports betting license from the Illinois Gaming Board.
The venue features 32 betting kiosks, seven over-the-counter betting windows, a 17,000-square-foot bar and restaurant space and a 2,000-square-foot video screen that can show up to 25 games at one time. Customers must be at least 21 years old to place wagers.
“The reception has been great since opening the DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field last summer as a state-of-the-art restaurant and bar, and we are excited to take our flagship venue to the next level with retail sports betting operations,” said Michael Kilbort, vice president of product operations at DraftKings. “Today’s celebration wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the Chicago Cubs, Levy and the Illinois Gaming Board. Together, we’re able to deliver customers a safe and regulated way to get in on the action while enjoying an incredible space to watch live sports.”
In the same week, DraftKings unveiled its new My Stat Sheet responsible gaming tool, which helps players evaluate, monitor and engage with their personal statistics. Using this data, players can make informed decisions on their own gameplay.
