Delta and DraftKings Launch SkyPicks for In-Flight Sports Predictions and Gift Card Prizes

DraftKings and Delta Air Lines have finally revealed the result of their headline-grabbing partnership after a year and a half of speculation. The two companies launched SkyPicks on July 29, a free-to-play in-flight sports contest that lets eligible passengers predict the outcomes of real sporting events for a chance to win Delta gift cards.

Strict Eligibility for SkyPicks

Delta makes SkyPicks available to SkyMiles members aged 21 or older on Wi-Fi-equipped U.S. domestic flights. Passengers can launch the contest on a phone or laptop through Delta Sync and answer a series of sports questions. They include who will score first, which team will win, and what the final score will be in a tiebreaker.

Correct predictions move players up the leaderboard, while the top finishers receive gift cards. Delta and DraftKings plan to run several new contests each week. The launch schedule focuses on MLB, with NFL contests expected later this year.

Most importantly, passengers cannot wager real money or SkyMiles. Instead, SkyPicks is structured as a free promotional contest in which eligible participants compete for Delta gift cards based solely on the accuracy of their predictions.

The Gambling Devices Act of 1962 generally prohibits gambling aboard U.S. commercial flights. As a result, DraftKings designed SkyPicks to avoid crossing that legal line. Eligibility is verified through passengers’ SkyMiles account information, and prizes are awarded as Delta gift cards rather than cash.

To participate, passengers must sign in with an existing DraftKings account or create one during the flight. Contest entries must be submitted before the aircraft reaches its arrival gate. However, players can continue updating their selections until the contest closes if the entry window remains open. New contests can only be entered while in the air.

Demand for Gambling-Like Features from Delta Passengers

Delta first announced the partnership in January 2025 during CEO Ed Bastian’s keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Bastian said that “gaming” had become “a regular part of the daily lives of many of our customers.” He added that they “shouldn’t have to hit pause just because they’re in the sky.” Because the announcement centered on a partnership with DraftKings, the remarks immediately fueled speculation that Delta could eventually introduce in-flight sports betting.

Weeks later, however, Delta clarified that “the ability to gamble is not currently part of that exploration.”

In June 2025, a screenshot of a Delta passenger survey appeared on Reddit, listing more than a dozen potential Delta Sync entertainment features. The survey asked customers which features they would most like to use.

Alongside films, podcasts, music, and live television, Delta included “exclusive access to sports gambling (Sportsbook) opportunities” that passengers could try on their personal devices via the airline’s Wi-Fi portal.

That wording sparked another round of speculation, suggesting that Delta was testing customer interest in gambling-related entertainment.

The partnership also attracted political criticism. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to DraftKings CEO Jason Robins and Bastian, asking them to stop the launch. He argued that expanding betting could worsen problem gambling and create a public health crisis.

Connecticut lawmakers had also proposed a bill that would have allowed in-flight sports betting on flights originating or ending in the state. That proposal highlighted the uncertain legal landscape surrounding gambling on commercial aircraft.

SkyPicks Serves as a Customer Acquisition Tool

SkyPicks makes strategic sense for both companies, even though the game does not allow real-money betting.

For DraftKings, the game serves as a customer acquisition tool as much as an entertainment product. Because passengers need a DraftKings account to participate, the company has an opportunity to introduce its platform to a captive audience of engaged travelers.

The branded experience encourages passengers to continue engaging with DraftKings after landing in states where online sports betting is legal. Even without accepting wagers in the air, the contest helps the company build brand awareness.

It also helps grow Draftkings’ customer base and establish relationships with users who may later become real-money customers.

Meanwhile, Delta gains greater customer engagement and more passenger data. The airline served more than 200 million customers in 2025 and said millennials and members of Generation Z make up the majority of Delta Sync Wi-Fi users. Sportsbook operators particularly value that demographic.

A recurring and competitive game gives travelers another reason to sign in to SkyMiles, spend more time in the Delta Sync entertainment environment, and connect the Delta brand with the sports they already follow.

Airlines have explored in-flight gambling before. Singapore Airlines experimented with slot games during the 1980s, while Swissair tested seat-based gambling during the 1990s before abandoning the idea.

Airlines have also spent years lobbying for the right to offer gambling after U.S.-registered cruise ships gained permission to do so under a 1991 law. However, those airline proposals have never made meaningful progress.

For now, SkyPicks can act as a cautious first step in the partnership. Rather than testing the legal limits of gambling aboard commercial aircraft, the companies have launched a free promotional prediction contest that keeps passengers engaged with sports while avoiding real-money wagering in the air.