Published on: January 9, 2025, 04:07h.
Last updated on: January 9, 2025, 04:09h.
Delta Air Lines is teaming up with DraftKings in a surprising deal that has raised eyebrows in the gambling and transportation industries.
The announcement was made by Delta CEO Ed Bastian during a keynote presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Wednesday, currently taking place in Las Vegas. Bastian’s speech focused on how technology is enhancing the inflight experience for customers, and included the unexpected announcement.
“Since we’re here in Las Vegas, the gaming capital of the world, it’s only fitting to announce a collaboration with DraftKings, one of the world’s top online gaming platforms, for the Delta Sync experience,” Bastian stated.
From fantasy sports to online adventures, gaming has become a regular part of the daily lives of many of our customers, and they shouldn’t have to hit pause just because they’re in the sky. Our partnership with DraftKings will build on the games portfolio that we already offer today…”
Could he be referring to inflight gambling?
Section 41311 of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act states: “An air carrier or foreign air carrier may not install, transport, or operate, or permit the use of, any gambling device on board an aircraft in foreign air transportation.”
This means that gambling is not allowed on any US carrier or on any flight that begins or ends in the United States.
Cards in the Air?
Bastian has been somewhat vague about the specifics of this deal, which has yet to be officially confirmed by DraftKings. However, the company’s CEO, Jason Robbins, was present at the announcement.
It is likely that, for now, the partnership involves some sort of cross promotion where passengers can sign up for DraftKings inflight for play-money games. There might also be a chance to earn airmiles through the DraftKings reward program.
This also means that if inflight gambling becomes legal in the future, everything will be in place for a quick and potentially profitable launch.
In 1996, a study by the US Department of Transportation estimated that airlines could make $1 million per aircraft per year (around $2 million today) by offering gambling, or $1.3 billion per year for an 800-plane airline (Delta has nearly 1,000 planes).
These numbers were significant enough at the time to prompt a coordinated effort by international airlines to urge Congress to lift the ban on gambling. Could Delta and DraftKings be planning a similar lobbying campaign?
Casino.org has reached out to DraftKings and Delta Air Lines for comments.
Potential Turbulence
The first trials with inflight gambling began in 1981 when Singapore Airlines introduced slots on its Boeing 747s. However, they were discontinued due to challenges with passenger flow and service issues caused by too many passengers gathering around the machines in the back cabin, as reported by airline blog View From the Wing.
Currently, in the UK, where there is no prohibition on mid-air gambling, Ryanair and other budget airlines sell instant-win scratchcards as a profitable sideline, but have refrained from full-fledged inflight gambling.
This is because gambling is a well-known mood altering activity and there is a risk that losers could become aggressive, posing a threat to crew and other passengers.