The Atlanta, Georgia, US-based American airline that helped found the SkyTeam alliance, Delta Air Lines has announced a new partnership with DraftKings that will bring a sports prediction game to its inflight entertainment platform.
The two parties, however, made it very clear: passengers will be able to enjoy the games, but they will not be allowed to actually place any bets or gamble during flights.
Prizes: Gift Cards
The airline said the new SkyPicks feature, which is a “free-to-play sports knowledge contest built for fans who want to do more than just watch”, is aimed at SkyMiles Members ages 21 and above.
Participants will be able to make sports prediction picks and engage in play for a chance to win Delta Gift Cards.
The new feature, “designed solely as an entertainment experience”, resembles the Delta Sync Sky Hopper game and will launch with Major League Baseball contests, with NFL matchups teased for later this year.
SkyMiles Members will be able to use laptops or smartphones to make predictions connected to real matchups, test their sports knowledge and win Delta Gift Cards “toward their next trip”.
“No betting, deposit functionality, buy-in, miles or financial risk involved. It’s one more way Delta is becoming the home for sports fandom in the sky,” the airline added.
Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s chief marketing and product officer, explained that Delta Sync’s goal is to “create an onboard experience that offers something for every customer, one that’s connected to what customers love on the ground.”
“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,” he added.
Concerns About Inflight Gaming
The announcement almost two years after concerns were raised about the possibility of inflight gambling.
In 2024, US Senator Richard Blumenthal urged Delta and DraftKings not to introduce betting onboard, citing a federal law dating back to 1962 that prohibits gambling on commercial aircraft.
Delta’s latest move, however, seems to reflect a broader trend among airlines: to expand their digital offerings and inflight experiences by investing in Wi-Fi, streaming services, and interactive entertainment to stand out.