DraftKings is using AI to behaviorally target chronic gamblers
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
DraftKings uses AI to target losing gamblers with predatory ads.
The EFF reports that DraftKings trains a machine learning model on customer betting records to identify losing gamblers, then sends them targeted promotions to lure them back. This exploits problem gamblers and exemplifies how AI supercharges the harms of online behavioral advertising. EFF argues all behavioral advertising should be banned, noting DraftKings uses only first-party data, so limiting third-party sharing would not prevent such practices.
Data collected for ad targeting is sold to insurers, banks, and law enforcement like ICE and CBP.
What commenters are saying
Commenters broadly condemn DraftKings as unethical, with one calling it "full of people with absolutely no ethics whatsoever." Many argue that any company selling an addictive, predatory product shares this trait. A split emerges: some distinguish state lotteries as less predatory, while others see them as a regressive tax. Several note that gambling addiction is comparably devastating to drug addiction. One commenter points out that DraftKings' pipeline includes games like Roblox and Fortnite that normalize gambling for children.