Delta Air Lines is bringing DraftKings gaming — but not gambling — to the skies.
The new gaming feature, called SkyPicks, is free to play and available starting right away on Delta planes equipped with the airline’s Delta Sync Wi-Fi. The airline says the game will give sports fans “a new way to engage with teams and leagues they love — letting them participate in the sports conversation, not just watch.”
Essentially, flyers will be able to test their sports knowledge and compete for Delta gift cards by making sports predictions tied to real matches.
The Delta-DraftKings deal was formally announced Wednesday, following through on a collaboration with the online sports betting giant that Delta first teased back in January 2025 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
At the time, the news led to plenty of speculation about whether full-fledged gambling would expand to the skies.
But now the Delta-DraftKings partnership is here, and gambling with cash or miles is not part of the equation.
“We just wanted to stay in the classic games genre, where it’s tried-and-true,” Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s chief marketing and product officer, said during a Tuesday call with reporters ahead of the announcement. “We’ve seen it on the setback screens, we’ve seen it with The New York Times games, we’ve seen it with Sky Hopper, and that’s kind of our approach here.”
He added: “What we really like here is it brings sports and games together. And for us, it was like, let’s do what the data has told us works, which is these types of games that are fun, that are skill-based, and that are no risk.”
Asked whether Delta might reconsider the gambling option in the future, Goswami said the airline has no plans to do that.
How will SkyPicks launch?
SkyPicks will begin with MLB games. NFL matchups will come later this year, when the professional football season starts.
The program will be available only to SkyMiles members 21 and older, and you’ll need to be on one of the 1,240 Delta planes that offer Delta Sync Wi-Fi.
Delta called the new sports-picking game its 10th onboard experience, which Goswami said would build on the airline’s existing onboard entertainment tie-ups with partners like FOX, The New York Times and YouTube.
“It’s a really fun game,” Goswami said. “We think it’s going to be a really fun way to bring the sports love of our fans, the games love of our fans, but do so in a really fun way that’s no wagering, no deposits, no risks, it’s just a fun contest.”
The game won’t be available on the seatback screens. It will only be on personal devices connected to Delta Sync Wi-Fi.
During their flights, Delta SkyMiles members have already been able to play The New York Times games like Wordle as well as Delta’s Sky Hopper game, which allows Delta SkyMiles loyalty members to compete for a shot at up to $400 in Delta gift cards.
Other current inflight entertainment options include FOX One, YouTube Premium, and content from The New York Times and The Athletic.
How it works
Delta laid out step-by-step directions for SkyMiles members interested in playing:
- Log on to Delta Sync Wi-Fi and open SkyPicks (on your personal mobile device).
- Sign in with your DraftKings account (or create one, if you’re new to DraftKings).
- Choose your league to unlock a set of questions about a single game or a predefined group of games.
- Make your picks by answering eight to 12 questions. Questions will be a mix of player head-to-heads (like “Who will have more points?”) and outcome picks (like “Which team will win?”).
- Submit your choices to enter the contest. (You can edit your picks up until the game or match-up, so last-minute lineup changes or player injuries won’t affect your ability to compete.)
“Prizes will be awarded to the top performers in individual contests and monthly leaderboards. Contests run twice a week, and while onboard, SkyMiles Members can always enter the next upcoming contest (so you can play even if your team’s games are on a different day than your Delta flight),” according to Delta. “In the event of a tie, players must predict the total amount of points or runs scored in a game.”
Bottom line
Delta is adding fun new options on Delta Sync Wi-Fi-enabled flights that let sports fans make picks and potentially win prizes with little financial risk.
Look for more news on Delta’s Wi-Fi investments later this week.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.