A few high-authority websites, including DraftKings’ site, faced a couple of problems yesterday as they suffered through slow page loading time and outages. In the case of DraftKings, some players were likely not able to wager on their favorite sports and daily fantasy sports players may not have been able to access their teams and set their preferred lineups. Even though the site is operating normally now, earlier today, when some players tried to access it, they experienced trouble as DraftKings’ website had a DNS failure.
The Cause of DraftKings’ Temporary Outage
According to the latest reports, the main reason why the official website of DraftKings experienced a temporary shutdown was the DNS (dynamic naming server) of Akamai Edge. Other reports stated that the problem lies in the GTM (Global Traffic Management) services. A blog post on Akamai’s site addressed the issue and stated that the company is aware of the problems that the Edge DNS is caused and is currently investigating the issue. Akamai provides corporations with cloud software services that are used to protect against any type of cyberattacks.
The reason why Akamai is so important to DraftKings is that this company is also known as a software provider to online casinos and mobile sportsbook apps. These two services are the two most important features that DraftKings has and provides to its customers.
Other High-Authority Websites Also Experienced Trouble
DraftKings was not the only website that experienced outrage. Numerous other popular brands, including some of the biggest companies in the US, were also having trouble. According to Downdetector, 50 other sites apart from DraftKings had similar difficulties. Four of those websites were video game sites, which fall in the same category as DraftKings.
Some of the brands that reported issues with their websites were Credit Karma, McDonald’s, Airbnb and American Express. Brokerage firms such as Fidelity, Vanguard and Charles Schwab were also affected. But, these problems did not cause any trouble to the broader market due to the fact that the domestic benchmarks are always higher when trading is done midday.
DraftKings Stocks Are On the Rise
The sudden outrage did not cause any trouble for DraftKings’ stock price. In fact, it was actually on the rise on Thursday. The increase in value comes as a result of ARK Investment Management by Cathie Wood purchasing another 604,000 shares. In the last couple of months, Wood’s firm has been actively buying equity in DraftKings and has added around 487,000 shares to the ARK Innovation ETF. The ARK Innovation ETF (exchange-traded fund) is the flagship exchange-traded fund of ARK Investment Management.
DraftKings has continued to make significant progress in the US sports betting industry. Recently, the sportsbook signed a major partnership with the Chicago Cubs, which may even result in a lift on the sports betting ban in Chicago. It has also become the official betting operator of the PGA Tour and has signed agreements with sports teams in all leagues.