A man accuses the sports betting platform DraftKings of using targeted tactics to make him lose his savings.
This is the situation: 32-year-old Dane Miller from the US lost his savings and his job. He is now suing DraftKings, a sports betting platform. The accusation: The platform not only recognized his gambling problem but actively exploited and even promoted it.
According to court documents, DraftKings recognized “potential” in Miller after he opened his account in 2020. In May 2021, he then received “VIP status,” along with “benefits” such as special promotions, winnings bonuses, free bets, and credits.
These incentives are said to have quickly escalated Miller’s use of the platform. He gambled away his wedding savings and eventually even took out loans and tapped into his retirement savings to finance his gambling. As part of the VIP program, he had daily contact with a “host” who rewarded him for his “loyalty” with tickets to sports events.
He lost his savings and ended up in the hospital
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This is how it affected him: In September 2024, Miller reportedly lost his job due to his constant gambling. The following month, he wrote a farewell letter and was eventually admitted to a clinic due to suicidal thoughts, according to the lawsuit.
But that was not the end: Shortly before, Miller was reportedly offered five times a credit worth $200 from DraftKings to win him back. After his discharge, he almost immediately relapsed and downloaded the app again.
In December 2024, Miller completed an outpatient therapy program and placed himself on the “Self-Exclusion List” of his state, Illinois. This works similarly to the local OASIS blocking system, preventing Miller from placing a bet in his state.
What is DraftKings accused of? The lawsuit, filed on June 24, 2026, accuses DraftKings of deliberately using mechanics that entice customers to keep playing more and more, while simultaneously circumventing security policies. Specifically, it states:
- DraftKings uses features like live broadcasts, real-time betting odds, and betting during a game, as well as a gamified interface, to be particularly attractive to a young audience that prefers “fast, interactive, mobile-first experiences.”
- With behavioral analysis, “secret algorithms” and highly personalized offers, a product that is as addictive as possible would be deliberately created.
- The tactics also include strategic partnerships and influencer activations. This creates a kind of funnel that continually pulls users further in.
- At the same time, the same safety precautions are not taken as in a real casino, where staff are supposed to monitor problematic gambling behavior. DraftKings ignores such problems and instead uses the collected information to entice customers to gamble even more.
- The obligation to design and market a safe product has allegedly not been fulfilled here, according to the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Miller is said to be better now. He has found work again, has taken up riding, and has had a child. As his lawyer Yvonne Flaherty emphasizes, however, it takes a very long time to repair the damage done. It is an ongoing process. With his lawsuit, he now wants to prevent others from going through the same (Source: The Independent).
What do influencers have to do with it now? The connection between influencers and gambling has become increasingly critical since 2021/2022. At that time, Twitch streamers earned millions with gambling deals and showcased digital one-armed bandits live on stream. Their viewers are encouraged with promo codes to sign up themselves in such online casinos. But while the streamers were secured through their promo deals, fans were risking their real money and going bankrupt.
When Twitch then introduced stricter guidelines for displaying gambling on the platform, some streamers switched to sports betting. Influencers are thus an important part of the mechanism by which gambling can be made appealing to a broad audience. With “funnel tactics,” fans can then be turned into paying customers for the sponsors.
Currently, there seems to have been a new wave of gambling and sports betting deals in connection with the ongoing World Cup. Recently, the German Twitch streamer Giggand has come under criticism: “What a powerful person has been lost here” – Tanzverbot criticizes the comeback of a certain trend on Twitch
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