DraftKings used AI to find problem gamblers and keep them hooked

According to the New York Times, DraftKings built an AI model from mid-2023 that scored customers on how much they would lose on promotions, then targeted them with offers. A separate project to identify and warn problem gamblers was shut down in 2025. The company denies that its marketing unfairly targets customers.

• Model scored gamblers by habits to predict losses on promotions
• Project to flag problem gamblers was cancelled in 2025
• DraftKings tracked play frequency, balances and bet-to-loss ratios
• Company says marketing does not target vulnerable customers