DraftKings Says NFL Handle Rose 15% YoY as Prediction Markets Nearly 2.5x Since July

DraftKings is off to a stronger-than-expected start to the 2026 NFL season, with sportsbook handle up 15% year-over-year in the first two weeks. The same call also had the other half of the story: prediction markets are now growing fast enough to matter in the company’s mix, which is exactly the sort of shift payment providers watch when a sportsbook starts behaving like a multi-product trading venue.

1. Speaking at the Wells Fargo 9th Annual Consumer Conference, DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins said the company’s sportsbook handle rose 15% year-over-year in the first two weeks of the NFL season. That number covers only the traditional sportsbook and does not include DraftKings Predictions.
2. Robins also said iGaming trends are improving and that DraftKings has started to regain market share as growth accelerated. The company remains on track for around $1 billion in adjusted EBITDA in 2026, with that figure expected to increase materially in 2027.
3. Prediction markets are now a major growth line for DraftKings, according to Robins, who called it a “huge growth story.” Trading volume has increased by nearly 2.5 times since July, helped in part by increased interest around the World Cup earlier this summer.
4. DraftKings launched its Predictions product in December 2025 and has continued to expand it. Robins said the company now has an almost double-digit share of the broader sports market, with an even higher share in NFL betting.
5. The company is also trying to win on menu depth. Robins said DraftKings offers roughly three times as many NFL markets as its competition and about 1.5 times as many college football and MLB markets. He said smaller sports such as tennis are still an area for improvement, which suggests DraftKings is focusing its prediction-market push on the sports with the largest betting audiences.

On the spending side, Robins said DraftKings could invest “meaningfully more” if current trends continue. That matters for PSPs and acquirers because more product lines, more market depth, and more volume usually mean more payment traffic to support — especially when a sportsbook starts layering prediction markets on top of its core betting and casino book.