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DraftKings uses AI to target gamblers likeliest to lose

sportsSep 19, 202635316

The New York Times published an investigation on September 19, 2026, reporting that DraftKings used machine learning built from customer betting records in 2023 to identify bettors most likely to respond to promotions and lose money. Six former DraftKings employees described systems that targeted those gamblers with incentives, including programs to coax users who appeared ready to leave the platform back into betting and to ramp up promotions for people gambling more aggressively than usual. A former DraftKings analyst quoted in the article said, "If you lose more, we give you more, so you keep playing more." The story says DraftKings has resisted applying similar data science to predict or protect people at risk of developing gambling problems. The reporting is based largely on interviews with current and former employees, many granted anonymity because they feared retribution.

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