Sports betting and fantasy sports operator DraftKings opened a new technology hub in Las Vegas, ceremonially cutting the ribbon of the new 90,000-square-foot facility located in the UnCommons district on the southwest valley.
Modern Working Environment
The new office, DraftKings’ second-largest in the US, features more than 130 dedicated sports trading desks placed in a stadium seating environment and surrounded by multimedia walls. A fully stocked cafeteria, event space, a custom casino training pit, an interactive putt-view putting green, and amenity spaces are also part of the facility aimed to employ 1,000 new DraftKings team members.
Graham Walters, DraftKings’ chief people’s officer, outlined in a statement the joint effort of the company with the UnCommons district that led to the creation of “a world-class workplace environment.”
Speaking to the local news channel KTNV after the ceremony, Walters noted that the company had been working on its new office for a while as part of its plans to expand its presence in Las Vegas where DraftKings is the primary sponsor of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)’s Center for Gaming Innovation.
“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Walters told reporters, adding that it was for years that DraftKings has been planning for this, knowing the high level of commitment of their employees in Las Vegas, and “looking for opportunities to continue to invest.”
Expanding Presence and Workforce
Boston-based DraftKings marked its presence in Las Vegas in January 2020 when it opened its first office there, employing around 300 employees across customer experience, fraud, casino, sportsbook traders, HR and IT in a customized environment featuring collaborative workspaces, workstations, enclosed offices, conference rooms, private lounge areas, and other amenities.
The new facility opening is coming just in time for one of the biggest sporting events in the US calendar, the NCAA March Madness, the college basketball tournament taking place this week.
Our employees have been really looking forward to the opportunity again to come in, and when we have kind of these tent-pole moments like March Madness, it’s really a great opportunity to get people together to celebrate.
Graham Walters, chief people’s officer, DraftKings
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who was also present at the opening ceremony of the new facility, was happy to see DraftKings expand its presence in Las Vegas, convinced that everyone recognizes the brand and its product.
“DraftKings means something to everybody. It’s sports betting, It’s fantasy betting, It’s everything exciting and it’s what the heartbeat of Las Vegas has always been about,” Goodman said.
And while she is right that DraftKings symbolizes all this, Nevada is a state in which the company is not licensed to operate a sportsbook.