DraftKings

ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson lost $10,000 betting on DraftKings while mimicking the behaviour of a problem gambler, to test the company's "responsible gaming" protections. Within a week of heavy, spiralling losses he was invited into the platform's VIP programme and encountered little resistance or intervention from the company. The experiment raises questions about whether sportsbooks' safeguards actually protect vulnerable customers, and it is drawing attention to the gap between gambling firms' public commitments and their incentives to keep heavy losers betting.

A ProPublica investigation reports that a reporter who intentionally bet like a problem gambler was rewarded by DraftKings with VIP status, despite the company's public emphasis on 'responsible gaming' tools. The report argues that incentives and product design pushed continued betting, outweighing safety prompts, amid growing public health concerns over online sports gambling in the United States.

A ProPublica investigation reports that a reporter who deliberately gambled like someone with a serious gambling problem was nonetheless courted by DraftKings, which granted them VIP status and incentives to keep betting. The findings fuel criticism that major US sports betting companies prioritize high-loss customers over responsible gambling safeguards, reviving debate about regulation of the fast-growing online sportsbook industry.

DraftKings is accused of using artificial intelligence to identify customers who are losing large amounts of money and steer them toward placing more bets, according to a report circulating in US news outlets. The allegation has drawn criticism from gambling-safety advocates who say such targeting exploits vulnerable users and raises questions about the ethics of AI in the fast-growing sports betting industry.

ProPublica reports that a reporter who intentionally gambled like someone with a gambling problem was nonetheless courted by DraftKings, which granted them VIP status and host attention. The investigation raises questions about how sports betting companies identify and reward customers showing signs of addiction, and whether industry safeguards to protect problem gamblers are working as intended.