{"id":2667601,"date":"2026-09-22T14:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/insiders-say-sports-gambling-giant-specifically-targets-bettors-most-likely-to-be-addicts-who-lose\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T14:38:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:38:07","slug":"insiders-say-sports-gambling-giant-specifically-targets-bettors-most-likely-to-be-addicts-who-lose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/insiders-say-sports-gambling-giant-specifically-targets-bettors-most-likely-to-be-addicts-who-lose\/","title":{"rendered":"Insiders Say Sports Gambling Giant Specifically Targets Bettors Most Likely to Be Addicts Who Lose"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finsiders-say-sports-gambling-giant-specifically-targets-bettors-most-likely-to-be-addicts-who-lose%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2667601&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the recent arrival of the fall equinox and its association with American football, which attracts manny gamblers hoping for big wins.However, most gamblers tend to loose, and some, especially those with gambling addictions, suffer significant losses. An inquiry by The New <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-voted-to-overturn-roe-v-wade-in-1982\/\" title=\"Biden voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 1982\">york times reveals<\/a> that DraftKings, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taylors-version-swift-related-super-bowl-bets-include-kelce-proposal\/\" title=\"Taylor Swift&#039;s Super Bowl bets involve a proposal from Kelce\">prominent sports betting company<\/a>, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify potential customers likely to gamble and lose, and then targets them with promotional offers like free bets and bonuses to encourage continued betting. Notably, DraftKings has resisted using similar AI techniques to detect or assist problem gamblers, focusing instead on maximizing profits. Former employees describe the company&#8217;s practices as predatory, emphasizing profit over responsible gaming. The company maintains it promotes betting for entertainment and monitoring for risky behaviors, but critics argue its actions primarily serve financial interests at the expense of vulnerable gamblers. The article emphasizes the moral responsibility of gambling firms to prioritize customer protection over profit, especially when responsible measures are hindered or dismissed.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The fall equinox arrived on Tuesday. In the United States, fall means football. And football means millions of starry-eyed gamblers dreaming of big winnings.<\/p>\n<p>Most, of course, will lose. Others will lose big. Sadly, some of those biggest losers will come from the ranks of the desperately addicted.<\/p>\n<p>According to an investigation by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/19\/business\/draftkings-ai.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a>, the gambling behemoth DraftKings has employed a form of artificial intelligence to identify and solicit customers most likely to gamble and lose.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the company has resisted proposals to employ similar technology to identify potential problem gamblers.<\/p>\n<p>So said multiple former DraftKings employees.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, The New York Times based its investigation on interviews with more than 40 such former employees, along with \u201cinternal research memos, presentations and Slack messages as well as betting records from experiments conducted on customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the whole, those former employees described a company obsessed with profit while less enthusiastic about helping desperate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/sports-betting-industry-spends-millions-tip-midterms-gambling-addiction-plagues-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gambling<\/a> addicts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are looking for traits and features that we can target that indicate a good investment,\u201d former DraftKings data analyst Jayden Butts said of a machine-learning model that sought to identify potential gamblers who would wager and lose in response to certain company promotions.<\/p>\n<p>Butts and other former employees d their experiences \u2014 and regrets \u2014 with The New York Times.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is as predatory as it sounds,\u201d another former analyst said, requesting anonymity. \u201cIf you lose more, we give you more, so you keep playing more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DraftKings will \u201cgive\u201d customers \u201cmore\u201d in the form of free bets, deposit bonuses, and a \u201cprofit boost.\u201d This, according to former company data analyst Jacob Shulkin, works wonders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel I\u2019m getting free money,\u201d Shulkin said, echoing the gambler\u2019s thoughts, \u201cbut really it\u2019s dragging me back in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, two other former analysts who worked on similar promotional models said that they feared the models would target the most vulnerable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mlb-pitchers-charged-rigging-pitches-help-gamblers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gamblers<\/a>. Each analyst requested guardrails. Each time, they said, the company told them that another division would handle the problem.<\/p>\n<p>That division, the <a href=\"https:\/\/rg.draftkings.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Responsible Gaming Center<\/a>, is headed by Lori Kalani.<\/p>\n<p>Kalani said in an interview that DraftKings relies on \u201ccustomers who are betting within their means, are betting for entertainment and betting for fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also said that the company does monitor for \u201cpotentially risky behaviors,\u201d though she claimed that risk prediction technology lacked evidence for its effectiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, in a statement, DraftKings refuted its former employees\u2019 characterizations.<\/p>\n<p>The company \u201crejects any implication that its marketing practices are unfair or improperly targets customers,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, DraftKings insisted that it directed its promotions \u201ctoward customers who demonstrate sustained, engaged use of our platform, not toward customers based on their losses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the whole, The New York Times\u2019 interviewees painted a picture of a company where two tactics dominate.<\/p>\n<p>First, DraftKings allegedly uses predictive technology to target prospective <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/explosive-turn-taylor-farms-diarrhea-disaster-high-level-exec-milked-co-30-million-gambling-women-1-aquarium-attendant-according-suit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gamblers<\/a>, but not to help the desperate ones in need.<\/p>\n<p>Second, DraftKings allegedly directs its promotions toward gamblers most likely to lose.<\/p>\n<p>Kalani admitted that the company\u2019s Responsible Gaming Center has opted against the use of predictive technology. But she cited that technology\u2019s dubious effectiveness rather than a lack of desire to help problem <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/texas-tech-university-qb-checks-rehab-gambling-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gamblers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As for the second claim, there is no doubt that company profits depend on gamblers who lose. Some of those losses are built into the nature of gambling.<\/p>\n<p>Others, however, come from pure desperation. After all, gamblers who bucked long odds with big wagers helped build the Las Vegas strip. Now, those same gamblers have helped line the pockets of executives at companies like DraftKings.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, we conservatives often find ourselves torn between the love of freedom and the love of virtue. Freedom provides the ability to fulfill our duties to God and others, but it can also lead to indulgence in unhealthy appetites that morph into vices.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of gambling, as with other forms of amusement prone to abuse, primary responsibility rests with the individual. But it does not end there. Bartenders, after all, cannot serve the intoxicated.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, as long as gambling remains legal, companies like DraftKings have a moral obligation to prioritize not profits, but protections for the desperately addicted.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The fall equinox arrived on Tuesday. In the U.S., fall signals football season, which attracts millions of hopeful gamblers dreaming of big wins. Most will lose, some significantly. Sadly, many of the biggest losers are among those with gambling addictions. A report by The New York Times reveals that DraftKings uses AI to target likely gamblers and encourage them to play, but resists using similar tech to identify or help problem gamblers. Based on interviews with over 40 former employees and internal documents, the investigation suggests the company prioritizes profit over responsible gaming. Former analyst Jayden Butts described their machine-learning model as predatory-aimed at finding customers who would wager and lose in response to promotions-and noted that DraftKings offers free bets and bonuses that keep players hooked. Other ex-employees expressed concern about targeting vulnerable individuals, but say the company defers responsibility to a separate Responsible Gaming Center led by Lori Kalani, who claims they monitor risky behaviors but dismisses predictive tech\u2019s effectiveness. DraftKings denies unfair marketing practices and states its promotions target engaged users rather than those losing money intentionally. Overall, reports indicate DraftKings employs technology primarily to identify potential high-value or losing gamblers for profit-not for protecting at-risk players-raising ethical questions about their role in encouraging gambling addiction while profits soar from losses driven by desperation rather than chance alone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2667602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-09-22T121528.048.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[86070,86071,86069],"class_list":["post-2667601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-addiction-risk","tag-betting-behavior","tag-sports-gambling"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-09-22T121528.048.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2667601"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2667605,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2667601\/revisions\/2667605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2667602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2667601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2667601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2667601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}