Stock Markets June 12, 2026 04:51 PM

BMO Names DraftKings Top Gaming Pick as Prediction Markets Gain Traction

Analyst house keeps Outperform rating and $50 target, citing sharp month-over-month growth in prediction market volumes

By Maya Rios
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BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed DraftKings as its Top Pick in the gaming sector, maintaining an Outperform rating and a $50 price target. The firm pointed to substantial month-over-month increases in the company’s prediction market activity in May, with annualized consumer and total volumes rising to $1.3 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively. BMO said DraftKings is still early in the adoption curve and has room to expand, though it noted larger industry volumes reported by Kalshi.

BMO Names DraftKings Top Gaming Pick as Prediction Markets Gain Traction
DKNG
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Key Points

  • BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed DraftKings as its Top Pick in the gaming sector with an Outperform rating and a $50 price target.
  • May prediction market activity showed strong month-over-month gains: annualized consumer volume rose 24% to $1.3 billion, and annualized total volume increased 34% to $3.1 billion.
  • The growth in prediction volumes signals scaling potential for DraftKings’ integrated product, with broader implications for the sports betting and gaming markets.

Overview

BMO Capital Markets identified DraftKings as its preferred name in the gaming industry, citing momentum in the company’s prediction markets product and what it sees as significant upside potential. The investment bank reiterated an Outperform rating and kept a $50 price target on DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG).

May volumes and growth

In its review, BMO highlighted May figures showing notable increases in DraftKings’ prediction market activity. The firm reported that annualized consumer volume rose 24% month-over-month to $1.3 billion, while annualized total volume increased 34% month-over-month to $3.1 billion. BMO interpreted these month-over-month gains as evidence that the integrated prediction product is scaling.

Position in the market and competitive context

While BMO described the product as still in early stages of adoption and productization, the firm said there is material room for further scaling through additional product investment and marketing. The report contrasted DraftKings’ growing volumes with industry leader Kalshi, which BMO noted reported $178 billion of annualized prediction market volume in April 2026, up from $5.5 billion in April 2025. BMO observed that a large portion of Kalshi’s volume appears to be sports-related inventory, underscoring the potential market opportunity available to DraftKings as it advances its product roadmap.

Brokerage coverage

Other investment firms have maintained positive stances on DraftKings recently. Morgan Stanley reiterated an Overweight rating and indicated that the volume disclosures could imply upside to its modeling. Jefferies and Bernstein also reaffirmed their Buy and Outperform ratings, respectively.

Implications for the gaming sector

BMO’s note frames DraftKings’ prediction offering as an incremental growth avenue that could broaden the company’s revenue mix if adoption continues. The firm’s focus on month-over-month volume acceleration suggests they view the product’s scaling dynamics as an important driver for future performance.

Conclusion

BMO maintains a constructive view on DraftKings based on recent volume disclosures, leaving the company as its Top Pick in the gaming sector while acknowledging that DraftKings remains behind category leaders in total prediction market volume and has further ground to cover as it scales its product.

Risks

  • DraftKings is still in early stages of adoption and productization for its prediction markets, meaning future scaling is not guaranteed - this impacts the gaming and sports-betting sectors.
  • DraftKings trails larger players in overall prediction market volume, as highlighted by Kalshi’s reported $178 billion annualized volume in April 2026, which may limit DraftKings’ near-term market share gains - this affects market competition within prediction platforms.
  • The company will likely need continued product investment and marketing to expand prediction volumes, creating execution and capital allocation risks that could influence its financial performance.

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