Jason Robins on M&A strategy
From DraftKings CEO and Tilman Fertitta on Golden Nugget Online Gaming deal · · CNBC Television
“we haven't done as well with the igaming first customer which golden nuggets brand really resonates with they were an early you know market leader in new jersey and have really done a tremendous job uh you know building that brand from something you know it's one of the oldest gaming brands in the world and uh it still resonates as much today as it did you know back 100 years ago so great brand obviously the opportunity to work with tillman is tremendous opportunity his track record speaks for himself and he's going to be a great board member and great shareholder and somebody i look forward to learning from um and the synergies are outstanding you know you mentioned 300 million in synergies which is a big chunk of the price of the deal so we're very excited about that and um you know we feel like listen the golden nugget was trading at 25 not too long ago we think we got a great deal we think we got a steal quite frankly and you know when you want to buy things is when they're they're at the lower point and i think you know both of us are very happy with the deal and i think our shareholders are going to be very happy with the results that they see”
On , Jason Robins, Co-Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at DraftKings, spoke about M&A strategy during DraftKings CEO and Tilman Fertitta on Golden Nugget Online Gaming deal on CNBC Television.
About Jason Robins
Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, discussed the company's recent performance and strategic focus on prediction markets during the company's first-quarter 2026 earnings call. He reported 17% revenue growth and said April revenue was up 22%. Robins stated that the company's prediction market product, regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, has become "one of our fastest to profitability business lines" and described predictions as "a strategic priority." He said DraftKings intends to "establish a leadership position in sports predictions before year end" and plans to continue investing in 2027. Robins noted that prediction markets allow DraftKings to address customers in states without legal online sports betting, including California, Texas, and Florida. He also acknowledged regulatory tension between federal and state authorities, saying it is "tough to do business" when the federal government deems predictions legal while some states disagree. Robins addressed the broader regulatory environment, telling podcast listeners that collaboration with competitors such as BetMGM, Bet365, and Fanatics is necessary because higher taxes are "more painful than if I lost 10 points of market share." Speaking at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, he highlighted the company's partnership with ESPN, calling the network "the most trusted brand in sports." He said the partners share a commitment to responsible gaming and are linking user accounts ahead of March Madness. Robins also remarked that sports betting increases fan engagement, as it gives viewers a reason to care about games they otherwise would not watch. Separately, he stated that DraftKings aims to keep its share count neutral or declining through stock buybacks.