DraftKings, a Boston-based digital sports gambling company, was founded in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matthew Kalish, and Paul Liberman as a daily fantasy sports (DFS) provider competing with FanDuel. It pivoted into online and retail sportsbooks in May 2018, riding the wave of US sports betting legalization, and went public in April 2020 via a reverse merger with SBTech and Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp. The company has become one of the biggest sportsbooks in the US, operating legally in 26 states as of December 2025. Its rapid growth was fueled by major partnerships, including early investment from Major League Baseball in 2013, a $250 million advertising deal with ESPN in 2015, and a $300 million funding round led by Fox Sports that same year. It also consolidated the market by acquiring rival DraftStreet in 2014, solidifying its position as a dominant player in the fantasy sports and gambling economy.