DraftKings CEO Jason Robins says customer demand made it “very clear very quickly” the operator needed to enter the casino market.

Back in September, Robins was quoted as saying: "I think it’s a different business; it’s the hospitality business. The knowledge of how to run casinos is so different. We’re not positioned too well to do well in casinos."

However, when asked by Gambling Insider about the change in approach, Robins explained the pace of DraftKings’ recent success had led to high customer demand for the product.

Subsequently, DraftKings Casino was incorporated into the operator’s existing New Jersey sportsbook in December.

Robins exclusively told Gambling Insider: "A lot of customers had been asking us for casino. When I spoke about casino initially, it would have been right after the launch of sports betting.

"We’re very nimble as a company. As we got more information and data, it became very clear very quickly our customers wanted us to launch that product.

"Ultimately, they wanted the loyalty points that come from playing across DraftKings products. We thought it was important to retain customers and give them the best experience."

Robins was speaking to Gambling Insider at ICE London 2019. Register for free to read the full interview when it is published.