DraftKings

A ProPublica investigation reports that a reporter who intentionally gambled like someone with a serious problem was nonetheless courted by DraftKings as a VIP customer. Despite the company's "responsible gaming" tools and prompts, the reporter found they were no match for the incentives and product design encouraging continued betting. The story lands amid growing public health concerns over sports gambling in the United States and scrutiny of how operators treat at-risk players.

ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson lost $10,000 betting on DraftKings while imitating the behaviour of a problem gambler to test the company's responsible gaming protections. Within a week he was invited to become a VIP, and he encountered little pushback as his losses mounted. The investigation suggests DraftKings' safeguards may fail to protect vulnerable gamblers, drawing widespread attention to the platform's practices.