If it’s free, it’s me.

That’s what at least 150,000 DraftKings patrons essentially said by signing up for the $100 million Golden Ticket Giveaway that launched last week. Just by entering the freesurvivor pool, customers are eligible to win $1 million in a drawing. And it all starts during NFL Week 1 in September.

And did we mention it’s free?

It’s free to play for everyone. Meaning that anyone can participate, even if sports betting is not legal (or not available yet) in their home state.

.Reward tiers are as follows: $3, $10, $100 and $500 are awarded as site credits and can only be used on DraftKings. $1,000, $10,000 & $25,000 are issued. Love the ticket system on Draftkings. In general I probably waste way to much money chasing tickets because I want to play in the big contests but can’t really afford them. I have won 6 or 7 Perfect game tickets this year and several $109 High heat. Sadly, I suck and the only one I cashed was $650 on the $109 ticket.

What’s the over-under for people signing up for this promotion? A million?

“We are excited about the response, it’s going to be a big number,” said Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings.

“This is a brand-new contest; we did not do it last year. One of the great aspects of this is the logical progression of people who are already on our site then deciding to bet the NFL games. This is real content, people want to play sports and this seems like a real natural.”

How to join the Golden Ticket Giveaway at DraftKings

Simply put, this massive giveaway takes into account the rewards for entering the contest and various promotions throughout the NFL season. So as you watch the Eagles, Jets or Giants play on the gridiron, you can play against other fans across the US in a survivor pool.

Customers just need to sign up for an account or log intoDraftKings Sportsbook or the DFS app and reserve your entry in the $1 million NFL Survivor Pool. Once you have opted into the pool, you will automatically have access to the Golden Ticket Giveaway.

Just before Week 1 kicks into gear, DraftKings will post survivor picks on Sept. 8, two days before the first game of the season between the Houston Texans and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, the $1 million pool prize could go to a single winner or be shared with multiple winners. But once you’ve got your entry, you can claim a free reward of between $5 and $25,000. After that, it’s all about the Golden Ticket Giveaway.

What’s so golden about it? One winner is guaranteed to walk away with $1 million. The first drawing takes place on Sept. 13.

As the NFL season continues, more contests will be available and customers will have more free shots at a $1 million top prize.

In total, DraftKings will be giving away up to $100 million in prizes. Now that’s a golden giveaway.

What is a survivor pool?

Survivor pools are one of the more exciting — and compelling — season-long competitions. Take one team to win a game each week, but you don’t get to use them again for the rest of the season.

Submit your weekly pick before 1 p.m. ET Sunday mornings during the regular season for all Sunday and Monday games. Thursday picks are due before that game’s kickoff.

If you “survive,” you can make your picks for the next week. The last one standing at the end of the season wins. If multiple players are still standing, the prize is shared.

The process seems easy early in the season, especially if one can avoid the big major upset that usually marks NFL Week 1.

From there, a player may take some major chalks in the early weeks and advance to the next rounds.

But it gets really hard when the bye weeks kick in. The schedule gets reduced to 12 games and top-flight teams have been used. Eventually, you will need a sub-500, even a weak team, to come up big for you.

Strategy tips to consider

But on which week does one stake the season-long position on a non-playoff team?

Strategy is significant. Some players want to build up wins and wait for competitors to take a stab with early-week longshots. Others take their risk early, preserving top teams for down the stretch.

I came close to winning one of these in recent years. I went with the chalk early, sweated out three one-point wins in the middle weeks, and had a loaded lineup at the end. There was a major risk in Week 15, when I took the New Orleans Saints to beat the Atlanta Falcons on the road. But they did.

That left me with the Philadelphia Eagles as a seven-point favorite against the Minnesota Vikings at home in Week 16. And the Falcons in my pocket for Week 17. But with all that, I still lost, as the Vikings upset the Eagles on a Tuesday game after the teams were snowed out on Sunday. Of course, the Falcons romped in Week 17.

DraftKings survivor pool vs. a pick’em contest

While this pool and Golden Ticket Giveaway will resonate with players, Avello also touts the widening popularity of DraftKings’ Pro Football Pick’em Contest.

The big difference between the two contests (survivor pool and the pick’em) is that the pool is free to play; the pick’em contest has a buy-in. It is also only available in New Jersey for now.

To play the pick’em contest at DraftKings requires a $1,500 buy-in, five weekly games against the spread, and payouts to multiple places. It has a $1 million top prize and total payouts of at least $2 million.

Prepping for NFL betting in New Jersey

Besides fun-to-play pools, bettors in the Garden State see the New York Giants, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles in divisions that look winnable this season.

Although the Giants and Jets are +8000 to win the Super Bowl and the Eagles +1800, their division battles should be fierce and generate bets, Avello asserted.

“Last year, I was expecting a lot of money to come in on those teams and it did,” Avello indicated. “You look at the divisions. Every year people say it’s going to be the Cowboys’ year to win the NFC East but the Eagles are usually pretty strong (they won the division last season) and the Giants always get on some of these runs, if you watch them year to year.

“There is going to be a lot of interest in the divisions. With the Jets, for example, being +850 to take the AFC East, that is going to generate betting support.”

Avello noted that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. “The big dog is gone,” he said, and so that division has opened up. “Buffalo looks to be the favorite right now, but that division is going to be much more wide open.”

The numbers may startle NFL betting fans. The BuffaloBills, at +120, are the AFC East favorites. This is the first time in perhaps 15 years that the favorite wasn’t New England.

Dallas is -110 to win the NFC East, while the Eagles are +140 and the Giants are +1000.

Pro sports are back in a big way with the NBA, MLB, NHL and PGA all successfully resuming their interrupted 2020 seasons over the course of the year. The NFL is still on track to complete most of its 2020 season on time.

What does that mean for the 2020 DraftKings Championship Series? It’s back, too, in a modified format that focuses more heavily on online fantasy contests. The full slate of events in the 2020 DKCS include:

• 2020 Fantasy Football World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Basketball World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Baseball World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Golf World Championship
• 2020 Pro Football Pick’em Championship

Qualifying and buy-in info below!

Upcoming: $12.5M Fantasy Football World Championship

Qualify every week up to Week 14 of NFL Season!

DraftKings’ signature Fantasy Football World Championship is back and paying out $12.5 million in cash prizes this year. The 2020 DKFFWC will run alongside the Week 15 NFL games on Dec 20, 2020.

You can still qualify right now on DraftKings by signing up below. Up to 200 qualifiers will get to split the full $12.5 Million prize pool. DraftKings Fantasy Football Championship details below:

• Date: Dec. 20, 2020 (Week 15 of NFL Season)
• Total Prize Pool: $12.5 Million
• Winner share: $2,500,000
• Total qualifiers: 200

$2M Pro Football Pick’em National Championship

• Dates: Sept-Feb.
• Total Prize Pool: $2 Million
• First Place: $1 Million
• Buy-in: $1,500
• Weekly Picks: 5
• Max Entries: 3

With a $1,500 buy-in the 2020 Pro Football Pick’em Championship isn’t for the casual Fantasy Football player but does have a lot to offer for those who don’t go on to win – namely an added $1 million in cash payouts. Running from Weeks 1-16 players need to pick five games per week; those who get them all right will scoop a weekly Perfect Week bonus.

Completed Championships

$4M GTD Online Fantasy Basketball Championship

• Dates: August 17 & 18, 2020
• Total Prizes: $4 Million
• First Place: $500,000
• Total qualifiers: 100
• Live Streams: Twitch and YouTube

The first two days of the NBA playoffs will be the playing field for the 100 qualifiers for the 2020 Fantasy Basketball World Championship. If you’ve followed the bubble action in Orlando you know the games have been highly competitive, the players locked in and focused and scoring at almost record highs. Earn your spot in Fantasy Basketball contests on DraftKings.

$1.5M Online Fantasy Basketball Championship

• Date: Sept. 18, 2020
• Total Prize Pool: $1.5 Million
• First Place: $500,000
• Total qualifiers: 50

The shortened MLB season has already seen its share of twists and turns and one MLB axiom always remains true: you never know what will happen on any day at the ball park. MLB Fantasy qualifiers run daily on DraftKings with just 50 spots up for grabs in this one.

$1.5M Online Fantasy Golf Championship

• Dates: Nov 12-15, 2020
• Total Prizes: $1.5 Million
• First Place: $500,000
• Total qualifiers: 200

The Masters may have been postponed but it’s still the signature golf event of any season, Spring or Fall, and will be the backdrop for this year’s FGWC. After 23-year-old Collin Morikawa‘s win at the PGA Championship, it’s also clear golf’s majors will be spectacularly contested regardless of the missing gallery roars. Qualify for one of 200 spots in the Fantasy Gold World Championhip via weekly PGA contests.

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Update from DraftKings as of April 13, 2020:

“Unfortunately, due to escalating health concerns related to COVID-19 and guidance from government agencies, among others, DraftKings has decided to cancel the Sports Betting Spring Championship and suspend the Fantasy Basketball World Championship. While DraftKings wants to hold the FBWC at a later date if and when NBA play resumes, DraftKings cannot provide any further details until we learn more about the NBA’s decision.”

Want to play for a piece of $100 million this year? DraftKings is giving daily fantasy players and sports bettors a chance to do that in 2020 with its “Championship Series.”

There will be at least 8 live championships and more than 40 competitions in all across DFS and sports gambling. Almost any American can take part in any part of the championships with dreams of millions at stake throughout 2020.

How can you get in on the action for the biggest betting and fantasy contests around? We have all the answers about the DraftKings Championship Series, the DK Fantasy Tournament of Champions and the DK Sports Betting Championships.

You can even win a trip to the Big Game if you’re lucky and skilled enough.

What is the DraftKings Championship Series?

The championship series is all of the biggest DFS and sports betting events combined into one “super event” if you will. DraftKings is a DFS operator around the country and an online sportsbook operator in select states.

A lot of these efforts had been going on separately over the years, but branding them together shows DraftKings doing something that almost no one else is doing. It’s really the only company doing sports betting events like this, other than some of the existing handicapping contests in Nevada.

With the ability to offer both huge DFS and sports betting contests, DraftKings is unique in the US marketplace from that standpoint. Not even rival FanDuel does a large handicapping contest.

The series is made up of a lot of DFS competitions and three sports betting events. We’ll tackle the gambling portion first.

What are the DraftKings Sports Betting Championships?

There are three championship events being put on by DraftKings Sportsbook over the course of the year:

• The DraftKings Sports Betting Spring Championship (Note: Now cancelled)
• The DraftKings Fall Sports Betting Fall Championship
• The DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship

All of these will presumably be held in New Jersey, where, but that’s only confirmed for the upcoming spring version of the event.

You do not have to be in New Jersey to sign up for the championships. You will need to travel to NJ in order to take part in the event and actually wager, however.

What should I know about the DraftKings Sports Betting Spring Championship?

The first DraftKings sports betting championship of the year will take place during the men’s Division 1 college basketball tournament. Tournament betting is big business, and it makes a lot of sense for DraftKings to hold the event during the first weekend of the tourney.

• When: March 19-22
• Where: Weehawken, NJ; you only have to be located in NJ to take part in the event, but there is a VIP location for contest entrants here.
• Prizes: $1.5 million guaranteed prize pool, $500,000 to first place.
• How to enter: Direct buy-in ($5,000; email [email protected] for details) or win a DraftKings DFS contest to qualify.

In order to take part in the championship, you will need to have the DraftKings Sportsbook app (or access to a computer browser) and a DraftKings online account.

What are the rules for the spring sports betting championship?

Here are the rules for the spring championship, which will be fairly similar for other championships.

• The $5,000 entry fee is broken up into a $2,000 bankroll for use in the contest and $3,000 that goes to the contest prize pool.
• You can only bet on pro and college basketball games.
• You have to bet at least $1,000. (Hint: You probably aren’t going to win if you only bet $1,000.)
• The contest is ranked by who has the largest bankroll after the final basketball game on Sunday. The top 25 bettors will win additional cash prizes.
• You get to keep your betting bankroll after the contest via your DraftKings account.

What should I know about the DraftKings Sports Betting Fall Championship?

Draftkings Ticket Refunds

We don’t have any details yet. The Lines will update this section when we do.

It is likely to take place during a weekend that has pro and college football games, and will likely occur in New Jersey.

How I get into the DK sports betting championships?

There are two ways to get into the championships:

• Direct buy-in: For the spring championships, it’s $5,000 to enter the contest directly, plus your costs for traveling to and staying in New Jersey for the championship. DraftKings has not announced the direct buy-ins for the other two events, yet?
• Qualify via a DraftKings DFS contest: There will be various qualifiers leading up to the championships that you can enter to get into the championships. In addition to the entry fee, this will include a prize package for a hotel stay and travel expenses. DraftKings’ DFS contests are available in more than 40 states. Contests in the DraftKings DFS lobby will explain how you can qualify on a contest-by-contest basis; usually, you will have to take first place in the qualifier in order to get the sports betting championship entry.
• Win a seasonal championship: The winners of the fall and spring championships automatically get into the national championship.

What is the DraftKings Sports Betting National Championship?

It is the biggest sports betting contest outside of Nevada and will have a million-dollar top prize. We’re still waiting for more details, but it will likely take place late in 2020 or early in 2021 and take place in NJ around football season.

Here is The Lines’ coverage of the 2019 championship.

What is the DraftKings Fantasy Tournament of Champions?

The Fantasy Tournament of Champions is a first-time collection of events for DraftKings. It consists of:

• 30 “Millionaire” Championships
• Five online championships
• Five live championships

These are all DFS contests that take place on the DraftKings app and site. The winners of these 40 contests will get an entry into the grand finale, a live contest that takes place at the 2021 Big Game in Tampa.

New! $400,000 League of Legends Online Fantasy Championship

While the world waits for mainstream sports to resume, DraftKings has announced a new $400K GTD LoL Fantasy Championship to run in Late May/Early June (date still TBD).

These are the details so far:

• Date: Late May/Early June
• Prize Pool: $400,000
• Winner: $100,000 + spot in the 2021 Fantasy Tournament of Champions (package worth $25,000)
• Buy-in: $555
• Satellites: Ongoing at DraftKings DFS

What are the DraftKings live events?

There will be five different live events:

• 2020 Fantasy Hockey World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Basketball World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Baseball World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Football World Championship
• 2020 Fantasy Golf World Championship

We have details on these live events; the rest are TBA:

DraftKings Hockey Fantasy Championship

The event took place in February in Nashville, Tenn. It featured a prize pool of $500,000.

DraftKings Basketball Fantasy Championship

Official statement from DraftKings re. Fantasy Basketball World Championship:

“Unfortunately, due to escalating health concerns related to COVID-19 and guidance from government agencies, among others, DraftKings has decided to … suspend the Fantasy Basketball World Championship. While DraftKings wants to hold the FBWC at a later date if and when NBA play resumes, DraftKings cannot provide any further details until we learn more about the NBA’s decision.”

• Where: Weehawken, New Jersey
• When: March 21
• Prize pool: $4 million guaranteed
• Entries: 100 qualifiers

What are the online fantasy championships?

These will likely run alongside the live championships and will feature massive prize pools focused around the four major US team sports and golf. Check back for more details as they become available.

What are the Millionaire contests in the Fantasy ToC?

These are contests that take place throughout the year and award a top prize of a million dollars.

Again, most of these are not yet announced, but we can say they will take place around:

• Every Sunday during football season.
• The four majors in golf

Draftkings Golden Ticket

What is the DraftKings live final?

Here’s what we know, although more details will be announced:

Draftkings Ticket Promo

• The finale of the tournament of champions will take place live at the Big Game in Tampa, Fla. on Feb. 7
• The top prize will be a million dollars.
• You will be able to make it to the contest at The Big Game by winning any of the above events. There will likely be other ways to qualify closer to the event, as well.
• DraftKings will likely employ its “Showdown” format for the contest, which will be based on fantasy performances at the Big Game.

Draftkings Tickets

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