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DraftKings and FanDuel Turn Up Heat on Kalshi: ‘Live in All 50 States’

By jili tutorial · September 5, 2026

DraftKings and FanDuel Turn Up Heat on Kalshi: ‘Live in All 50 States’

The competition among sports betting platforms is intensifying as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Kalshi battle for users nationwide. With prediction markets expanding rapidly, the marketing war is reaching new heights.

Rivalry Heats Up in the Prediction Market Space

The first line of a recent Ninth Circuit opinion against KalshiEX, LLC quoted the company’s own advertising: “KalshiEX, LLC advertises itself as ‘the first app for legal sports betting in all 50 states.’” While Kalshi now avoids the word “bet” to describe its product, other major players are aggressively courting sports bettors across the country.

DraftKings and FanDuel have launched into prediction markets and are making it clear that their apps are available nationwide. Their campaigns are particularly targeting states without legal sports betting, such as California, which—at least for now—permits sports prediction markets.

All Gas, No Brakes for DraftKings

DraftKings remains the largest spender on marketing in the gambling industry. Last year, the company allocated $485 million to marketing efforts. So far this year, it has already spent $111 million on television campaigns alone.

On September 2, DraftKings ran a high-profile gameday promotion that included giving away free gas in five major cities: Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, and Detroit. The company tweeted:

“MASSIVE day at DraftKings… we’re officially live in all 50 states @DKSports is dropping rewards all Gameday long.”

The promotion offered free gas, profit boosts across all sports, and more surprises. According to DraftKings, the event gave away 32,000 gallons of gas to over 2,200 cars across the five cities. At roughly $4 per gallon, the promotion cost the company approximately $128,000.

While the stunt gained traction online—especially with DraftKings’ ambassadors pushing content—some participants reported long waits and disappointment. One user tweeted:

“@DraftKings just lined up for your gas giveaway and at 11am being told to come back in 1-2 hours after we’ve already been waiting meanwhile ppl are cutting the line from side streets and not being told to get in line. This isn’t right.”

Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas Star in New Ad

DraftKings also released a fresh advertisement featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas traveling across the United States. In the ad, Jonas tells Hart, “Now that DraftKings is live in all 50 states, we can finally take that road trip we’ve always talked about,” as they drive cross-country and place wagers on sports.

FanDuel Declares App Is ‘Live Everywhere’

FanDuel is the second-largest spender on TV advertising this year, with around $57.9 million allocated to television campaigns. Across all marketing channels, the company spent $462 million last year, just behind DraftKings, according to a report by 5WPR.

A new FanDuel ad campaign features an All American Rejects cover of Johnny Cash’s classic song “I’ve Been Everywhere,” with the tagline: “FanDuel is now available EVERYWHERE!”

Leadership Changes and Financial Pressure

FanDuel has undergone significant leadership changes this year. CEO Amy Howe was replaced by Christian Genetski as the company struggled to meet expectations. Parent company Flutter also announced that CEO Peter Jackson will be replaced by Dan Taylor on October 1.

Winning users across the country during this football season is crucial to reviving FanDuel’s fortunes. Flutter’s share price is down 65% from this time last year, adding urgency to the company’s marketing push.

Kalshi Spends Big but Shifts Its Message

Kalshi has firmly established itself as the third-largest advertiser in the sports gambling industry. So far this year, it has spent $41.1 million on TV advertising alone.

However, the company objects to being labeled a sports gambling company and has moved away from advertising its product as sports betting. The Ninth Circuit’s opinion, which quoted Kalshi’s own advertising, is one of many instances where legal teams have highlighted past ads as proof that its product should be classified as gambling.

Notably, while DraftKings and FanDuel ads claim they are live in all 50 states, they stop short of stating they offer legal sports betting in any of them. A recent Kalshi ad attempts to distinguish itself from traditional sportsbooks, saying it lets users “trade on anything” and that “unlike sportsbooks, Kalshi doesn’t set the odds, other users do.”

CEO Defends the ‘Trading’ Label

In a recent interview, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour sought to distance the company from past ads that claimed it offered sports betting. He said the word “betting” was used colloquially, but in reality, users are trading, not gambling.

This distinction may soon be settled by the Supreme Court. New Jersey has petitioned SCOTUS to hear a case on whether sports prediction markets should be regulated by state gambling laws.

For now, users can trade, bet, or gamble—whatever term they prefer—on sports across the country. The battle for where they place those wagers looks set to be fierce.