A reporter posed as a problem gambler on DraftKings and found the sportsbook rewarded reckless betting with VIP status while undermining its own responsible gaming protections through aggressive promotions. After losing $12,500 over six weeks, the reporter received a warning prompt followed by multiple promotional alerts the same day, illustrating tensions between DraftKings' stated commitment to preventing addiction and its profit-driven product design.
ProPublica is collecting sports betting data from users of FanDuel and DraftKings to investigate how these apps incentivize continued gambling and implement responsible gaming practices. The organization seeks at least 250 people to share their betting histories via a browser extension to analyze patterns in how sportsbooks operate.