Line up DraftKings and Rollbit side by side and the first thing that stands out isn't how similar they are — it's how differently each one spent the last six years. DraftKings turned a 2012 daily-fantasy startup into a Nasdaq-listed sportsbook operating under two dozen-plus state licenses. Rollbit turned a February 2020 crypto casino launch into a sportsbook-plus-futures-trading platform that has never once let an American sign up, and whose own Curaçao license is currently unresolved. Same rough timespan, opposite trajectories.
The Two Timelines
DraftKings: 2012 founding in Boston, DFS product first, sportsbook licenses added state by state after PASPA fell in 2018, Nasdaq listing (DKNG) in April 2020, and a 27-state-plus-D.C. sportsbook footprint by August 2026 with online casino live in five of those states. Rollbit: incorporated as Bull Gaming N.V. in Curaçao, launched February 2020, built out a 3,000+ title casino, a sportsbook, an NFT marketplace, and eventually synthetic futures trading with leverage up to 1000x — all while the United States sat on a list of roughly 29 excluded jurisdictions from day one. One company spent six years getting licensed into new states. The other spent six years adding products on top of a license that has now lapsed.
DraftKings vs Rollbit, side by side
| DraftKings | Rollbit | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012, Boston | February 2020, Curaçao |
| License | State-by-state US licenses; Nasdaq: DKNG | Curaçao OGL/2024/1260/0494 — expired 23 May 2026, unrenewed |
| US access | Sportsbook: 27 states + D.C.; casino: CT, MI, NJ, PA, WV only | None — US blocked outright since 2020 |
| Product | Sportsbook first, five-state casino, separate DFS product | 3,000+ title casino, sportsbook, NFT marketplace, 1000x futures trading |
| Banking | Debit card, bank/ACH/Play+, PayPal (state-dependent) | Crypto only — BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, USDT, USDC, RLB |
| Welcome offer | State-specific sportsbook offer, live states only | 15% rakeback first 24 hours, then 5% ongoing, no wagering requirement |
Is DraftKings or Rollbit Legal Where You Are?
DraftKings answers this state by state: the sportsbook is live and licensed in 27 states plus Washington D.C. as of August 2026, with Arkansas the most recent addition on March 20, 2026. It is not live in California, Texas, or Florida. Rollbit skips the state question entirely — the United States has been a blocked jurisdiction since Rollbit launched, so no state legislature can change the answer for Rollbit the way one eventually could for DraftKings.
Not the same kind of “not available”: a dark DraftKings state can, in theory, license the sportsbook later — several states have done exactly that since 2018. Rollbit's US exclusion is a standing company policy, not a licensing gap waiting to close.
Is Rollbit Legit? The License Question Neither Brand Shares
DraftKings doesn't have a licensing-legitimacy question to answer — it's a public company reporting to shareholders and to state gaming regulators in every state it operates. Rollbit does. Its Curaçao license OGL/2024/1260/0494 passed its expiry date on 23 May 2026, and as of this comparison the Curaçao Gaming Authority's public register still lists it under assessment rather than confirmed renewed, while the certificate page Rollbit itself links to now reads revoked. Six years of continuous operation argues Rollbit is a real business; the lapsed certificate argues it should currently be treated as unlicensed. DraftKings carries no equivalent open question.
Which One For Who
Inside a live DraftKings sportsbook state, this isn't really a contest — DraftKings is reachable, regulated, and Rollbit was never on the table for a US bettor at all. Outside that footprint, Rollbit still doesn't become the fallback, since its exclusion covers every US ZIP code regardless of state licensing. Only for a non-US reader does Rollbit turn into a genuine option, and even then the honest move is waiting on the Curaçao Gaming Authority to confirm the license before depositing. Treat either as entertainment, never income: 21+ where DraftKings is licensed, and not an option for a US player on Rollbit at any age.