Delta Launches In-Flight Sports Prediction Game with DraftKings

Delta Air Lines has introduced an in-flight sports prediction game called SkyPicks in partnership with DraftKings, available to passengers aged 21 and older. The initiative offers Delta gift cards as prizes and expressly prohibits gambling, betting, or financial risk on board.

What Happened

Delta Air Lines has partnered with sports betting company DraftKings to offer a sports prediction game on its flights, as reported by The Star on July 29, 2026. This new in-flight entertainment feature, named SkyPicks, is available to passengers aged 21 and older, allowing them to participate in prediction contests without engaging in gambling.

The airline stated that the game offers Delta gift cards as prizes and explicitly excludes betting, deposit functionalities, buy-ins, or any form of financial risk. This approach aligns with a previous urging from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who, last year, called for companies to prevent gambling on commercial aircraft, citing a 1962 law that prohibits such activities, according to The Star.

Key Details

• The new sports game, SkyPicks, launched on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, and is designed as an entertainment experience within Delta Sync Wi-Fi, according to The Star.
• Passengers can access SkyPicks via their mobile or personal devices through Delta Sync Wi-Fi, not through seatback screens, as stated by The Star.
• Participation requires customers to sign in with an existing DraftKings account or create a new one to access a series of prediction questions related to single games or multiple matchups, as per The Star.
• Initial contests will focus on Major League Baseball, with NFL matchups planned for later in the year, according to The Star.
• Prizes, in the form of Delta gift cards, will be awarded to top performers in individual contests and monthly leaderboards, according to The Star.

Why It Matters

Delta’s partnership with DraftKings reflects a broader trend among airlines to enhance in-flight content offerings, including games, live TV, and movies, to improve passenger entertainment. Delta has indicated that sports content consistently ranks among its highest-performing categories on its in-air platform, according to The Star. This initiative leverages the popularity of sports engagement while adhering to regulatory frameworks against in-flight gambling, specifically the 1962 law cited by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

The introduction of a non-gambling prediction game addresses increasing consumer interest in sports-related activities. A 2025 Pew Research poll reported that 22% of adults had bet money on sports in the past year, an increase from 19% three years prior, according to The Star. By offering a risk-free prediction game, Delta taps into this growing engagement without contravening legal prohibitions on in-flight gambling, positioning the activity as purely entertainment.

What’s Next

Delta announced that SkyPicks will launch with Major League Baseball contests, with NFL matchups becoming available later in the current year, according to The Star.

Originally reported by The Star·Published 29 Jul 2026, 14:00