DraftKings and Delta Air Lines have launched SkyPicks, a free-to-play sports prediction contest available to eligible passengers on Wi-Fi-equipped domestic flights in the United States.
The in-flight game allows customers aged 21 and older to answer questions connected with upcoming professional sports events. Participants can compete for Delta Gift Cards, with prizes awarded through individual contests and monthly leaderboards.
SkyPicks does not allow passengers to place wagers or risk money while travelling. The service excludes deposits and entry fees, keeping the experience within federal rules that prohibit gambling on commercial aircraft.
Delta first announced its planned collaboration with DraftKings in early 2025. The companies introduced the product through Delta Sync Wi-Fi, describing it as entertainment linked to live sports rather than an onboard gambling service.
Passengers Enter Contests Through Delta Sync Wi-Fi
SkyPicks is available through passengers’ personal mobile devices or laptops. It does not appear on Delta’s seatback entertainment screens.
Customers must connect to Delta’s complimentary Wi-Fi through their SkyMiles account and open the Delta Sync Wi-Fi homepage. From there, they can launch SkyPicks and sign in with an existing DraftKings account or register a new one.
Delta uses SkyMiles information to verify that each participant meets the minimum age requirement.
The contests ask customers to make predictions about real sporting events. Questions may cover which team will win or which player will perform better in a specific matchup. Some contests also include a final-score tiebreaker.
SkyPicks will initially offer contests based on Major League Baseball games. NFL matchups will follow later in the year, while the wider format can also cover basketball and other professional sports.
New contests will appear several times each week. Passengers can enter only while their flight is in the air, though they can continue managing an existing entry after landing.
Once a customer submits picks, the service sends an email link that allows the participant to change selections and follow the leaderboard until the contest closes. Winners receive separate instructions explaining how to redeem their Delta Gift Card.
Companies Present Product as Sports Entertainment
DraftKings said the collaboration extends sports interaction into a setting where fans may otherwise have limited access to live events.
“At DraftKings, we believe interaction with sports shouldn’t begin and end with the game itself—it should extend to every moment fans care about,” said Jeremy Elbaum, Chief Commercial Officer at DraftKings, in the company’s press release. “As we continue elevating the DraftKings Sports experience, we’re also exploring new ways to bring fans closer to the action beyond the traditional settings. Collaborating with Delta gives us the opportunity to reimagine what sports engagement can look like while traveling, bringing innovative ways for fans to stay connected to the games they love—even when they’re in the air.”
Delta said sports consistently rank among the strongest-performing categories on its onboard entertainment platform. The airline has continued adding games and live programming as part of its effort to expand the range of content passengers can access during flights.
“With Delta Sync, our goal is to create an onboard experience that offers something for every customer—one that’s connected to what customers love on the ground,” said Ranjan Goswami, Chief Marketing and Product Officer. “For many of our customers, that includes sports. SkyPicks brings that passion onboard in a fun, free-to-play way, giving SkyMiles Members another way to engage with the games and conversations they love while they fly.”
Real-Money Gambling Remains Outside the Service
SkyPicks does not include betting functionality, account deposits or paid entry. Players face no direct financial loss when submitting predictions.
The companies structured the product this way to comply with federal restrictions. In 2025, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal urged Delta and DraftKings to ensure that their planned partnership did not introduce gambling aboard commercial flights, citing the Gambling Devices Act of 1962.
Passengers who create a DraftKings account through SkyPicks do not automatically gain access to real-money betting. New customers who later download the DraftKings Sports & Casino application must complete the company’s standard registration process after reaching their destination.
Any real-money sports betting or trading would remain subject to the rules and availability governing DraftKings’ standard platform.
Interest in sports wagering has increased in the United States. A 2025 Pew Research poll found that 22% of adults said they had wagered money on sports during the previous year, compared with 19% three years earlier.