Delta Airlines teased the possibility of in-flight wagering as it announced a future head-turning partnership with DraftKings.

During a keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Delta CEO, Ed Bastian, told the audience that customers “shouldn’t have to hit pause just because you’re in the sky”.

Speaking on the latest episode of iGaming Daily, Jessica Welman, Editor of SBC Americas, said: “To me, I think it would be a cash cow. People trapped with nothing to do and it’s like you can play slot machines and gamble, it sure sounds like a surefire way to win.”

Standing in the way of the potential proposal is a federal regulation that prohibits gambling devices on planes However, some state legislators are pushing for change.

In response to the announcement, State Rep. Christopher Rosario introduced legislation in Connecticut that would allow wagering on commercial flights originating in the state. Tax terms would see the state receiving 1% of in-flight betting revenue for public education.

However, as Charlie Horner, SBC’s Media Manager, pointed out, ensuring compliance with any new regulation would be technologically challenging. 

He said: “How do you regulate this? How do you enforce this? Do the geolocation providers have special plane-sized geofences that can monitor when you’re on a flight? How [would] they know that this one specific flight is flying over Kansas but left in Connecticut?

“I feel there’s a lot of technical things that we just have to work out.”

While some are embracing the deal, others in Connecticut are trying to ground it before it starts. Sen. Richard Blumenthal authored an open letter to DraftKings and Delta last week expressing concerns about the responsible gambling implications of the deal.

Jess explained: “[Blumenthal wrote] that this partnership seems to be aimed at enticing the flying public, many of them possibly problem gamblers or recovering problem gamblers, to engage in a high-risk activity from their seatbacks while in the air and unable to walk away.

“That lot point is fair, you truly have a captive audience when it comes to gambling on planes. [But], 2-3% of the population appear to have a gambling disorder. By comparison, it’s roughly the same amount of people who are allergic to peanuts and we still hand those out to everybody on a plane. I guarantee you there are more alcoholics on planes and they’re not going to stop serving alcohol on them either.”

If, as Jess predicts, the deal doesn’t turn into casinos and sports betting in the sky, she suggested it could lead to a deal where DraftKings customers can earn air miles for Delta while wagering, similar to a deal agreed between the Marriott International hotel chain, MGM Resorts International and BetMGM.