Friday, April 24, 2026
FOS Expands to TV More Details

DraftKings’ Profit Breakthrough Isn’t Enough for Wall Street

CEO Jason Robins on Friday touted the company’s growing prediction-market platform.

DraftKings

DraftKings reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of nearly $2 billion for the three months ending Dec. 31, 2025, a 43% increase compared to the same time period last year. It also reported positive net income—$3.7 million on the year—for the first time in company history (DraftKings was founded in 2012). Last year, the company reported a total net loss of $507 million.

“Our core business is strong as we enter 2026,” said Jason Robins, CEO and cofounder of DraftKings, in a Thursday press release

Still, the market punished the sports betting giant because it issued a 2026 sales forecast that fell below analyst estimates. Shares fell by as much as 16% following the results release on Thursday, down roughly 4.3%. . Shares are down more than 50% in the last year.

The market’s reaction can be attributed in part to the fact that analysts generally expected the company’s 2026 sales guidance to be roughly $7.3 billion; DraftKings reported expected guidance of between $6.5 billion and $6.9 billion. Analysts were also concerned about a deceleration in the company’s handle—or total dollars bet by customers. Citizens noted that DraftKings’ handle increased by 4% in January, lower than the 11% increase the company saw a year ago.

J.P. Morgan analysts called the revenue guidance “disappointing” and said it is “unlikely to calm investor fears that handle declines are attributable to prediction markets, especially as it coincides with [DraftKings] more aggressively investing in the nascent category.”

“I thought we had a good year,” Robins said, adding he’s “very frustrated” DraftKings didn’t beat its guidance. He expressed no concern about prediction-market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket potentially eating into DraftKings’ business.

DraftKings appears primed to invest significantly in prediction markets this year: it launched its app, DraftKings Predictions, in 38 states in late December, with sports event contracts only available in states where online sports betting is still illegal, like California, Texas, and Georgia. Earlier this month, it leaned further into prediction markets through a new deal with Crypto.com.

“There’s real opportunity here,” Robins told Front Office Sports on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LX. “We’ll see how big it ultimately can be.”

In a letter to shareholders issued in conjunction with the latest results, Robins said the company sees “a massive, incremental opportunity in DraftKings Predictions.”

“We plan to deploy growth capital to build the best customer experience in Predictions, and acquire millions of customers,” he said. 

Robins noted the industry is “rapidly developing,” and said DraftKings is “moving with urgency.” As two examples, in the second quarter of 2026 the company intends to integrate Railbird—the federally licensed exchange it acquired over the summer in a deal worth up to $250 million—and it will also launch its own market-making division to boost liquidity in prediction-market offerings. Robins forecasted “hundreds of millions in annual revenue for DraftKings Predictions in the years ahead.” He called prediction markets “the most exciting new growth opportunity we have seen since PASPA was struck down in 2018,” referring to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed states to begin legalizing, and regulating, sports betting. 

In Friday’s earnings call, Robins noted the “most common theme” DraftKings is seeing in prediction markets is that the users “tend to be Californians and Texans.” (Sports betting is illegal in those states.)

“Otherwise, they look a lot like our existing customers,” he said.

Robins also signaled support for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the federal regulator that oversees prediction markets, citing the agency’s “engagement on event contracts and the advancement of a more defined and durable regulatory framework.” That comes as no surprise—Robins was among 35 executives named to the CFTC’s new “innovation advisory committee.” Others include Kalshi cofounder and CEO Tarek Mansour, Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan, and Robinhood cofounder and CEO Vlad Tenev.

Robins said there’s been “real lean in” from the CFTC since new chair Mike Selig was approved, noting the regulator has gone from a “hands off, not gonna comment posture” to “full-fledged affirmation that this is something the CFTC considers to be firmly under its jurisdiction.” 

“Anything that creates a stable regulatory environment and allows us to operate freely is a real upside for us,” he said.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

President Donald Trump speaks at the Build the Red Wall rally at Dream City Church in Phoenix on April 17, 2026.

Trump Says He ‘Doesn’t Like’ Prediction Markets

“That’s like Pete Rose betting on his own team.”

Job Postings Paint Picture of Cal’s New Content Venture After Layoffs

The laid-off employees were encouraged to apply to the new content studio.

Pittsburgh Draws Record 320,000 for Draft’s First Round

Fans flocked to the Steel City and smashed the event’s prior record.

Raiders Take Fernando Mendoza No. 1 Overall in NFL Draft

The Heisman Trophy winner will be seen as a franchise cornerstone.

Featured Today

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 25: Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever sits on the baseline and makes photographs during the Indiana Pacers game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Why Athletes Are Moonlighting As Sports Photographers

Athletes are swapping courtside seats for sideline cameras.
Quinnipiac women's varsity rugby
April 21, 2026

The Death of Quinnipiac Women’s Varsity Rugby

The sudden decision at Ilona Maher’s alma mater left players blindsided.
April 17, 2026

The Lawyer Steering the NIL Era

In the new era of college sports, Darren Heitner is everywhere.
blake griffin
April 14, 2026

Inside Blake Griffin’s Rookie Season at Prime Video

The six-time All-Star was initially hesitant to enter the media space.
The logo of the 2026 NFL Draft is showcased at the big screen inside the theater Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.

NFL Draft Odds Chaos Pits Insiders Against the Market

There’s been plenty of line movement for the No. 2 pick.
April 9, 2026

College Athletes Are Ignoring NCAA Gambling Bans

“We were going to bet regardless,” says one former D-I athlete.
An overall look at the newly opened MGM Grand Detroit sports betting & entertainment venue called BetMGM Sports Lounge at its casino in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
April 21, 2026

‘Purely Gaming’: Inside the Tribal Fight Against Prediction Markets

A California tribal leader tells FOS “we have the truth on our side.”
Sponsored

Why Brandon Marshall Bet on Athlete-Owned Media

Brandon Marshall on athlete media, life after football, building I AM ATHLETE.
Jan 14, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., delivers remarks during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on the expected nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
March 31, 2026

‘Astonishing and Appalling’: Senator Blasts MLB-Polymarket Deal

A Connecticut senator says prediction markets are part of an “addiction conspiracy.”
March 30, 2026

NFL Warns Prediction Markets Operators Over Vulnerable Bets

Ongoing litigation in the burgeoning industry has muddied the waters.
The March Madness logo is pictured during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026.
March 23, 2026

Coinbase Takes Heat for Pushing March Madness Markets

Viral posts showed that users feel pummeled by sports event contract promotion.
Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) reacts with third baseman Max Muncy (13) after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the eleventh inning for game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre.
March 23, 2026

Bipartisan Bill Wants Sports Banned on Prediction Markets

It’s the latest indicator that prediction markets have gone mainstream.