DraftKings CEO says DFS is 'almost identical to a casino'

As reported by Las Vegas Review Journal, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins made the comments on Reddit.com, an entertainment, social networking and news website where registered members can submit content. On the thread, submitted three years ago, Robins engaged in an online discussion about how he and two friends started DraftKings, which is now one of the two largest daily fantasy sports providers.

Robins' comments on the Reddit site differed greatly from comments he made in September at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. During a panel discussion on whether or not fantasy sports is a form of gambling, Robins said daily fantasy sports was a game of skill, similar to chess or playing the stock market.

Robins said the players attracted to Boston-based DraftKings were predominantly millennial men ages 21 to 35 who are analytical and favor data and research. He said under 15 percent of his customers have placed a sports wager in a Nevada sports book or with an offshore sports wagering website.

"They do their homework," Robins said. "It's like the stock market. They enjoy looking at something and trying to figure out something that someone else doesn't see."

A spokesperson for DraftKings did not respond to an email requesting comment.

In August, DraftKings announced it applied for and received gaming licenses to operate in the United Kingdom.

The attorney general determined the licenses were granted for a "pool betting" and "gambling software." The company, however, never identified the licenses as gaming.