Thread

DraftKings is using AI to behaviorally target chronic gamblers

570 points · 432 comments · paimapi

tedivm · 1790700196 · focus · HN ↗
ProPublica had one of their reports work with gambling addition experts to see how DraftKings would respond to someone presenting signs of a gambling problem. It's a hell of a read, and makes it clear that this company is full of people with absolutely no ethics whatsoever.
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/draftkings-sports-gambling-problem-vip-fanduel" rel="nofollow">https://www.propublica.org/article/draftkings-sports-gamblin...
1. jimbo808 · 1790701282 · focus · HN ↗
  > this company is full of people with absolutely no ethics whatsoever
  I believe this applies to any company which sells an inherently harmful, predatory, and addictive product or service
  1. skippyboxedhero · 1790702874 · focus · HN ↗
    It isn't inherently addictive. Gambling addiction is significantly less common than alcohol addiction, and has no properties that make it inherently addictive to someone who is not predisposed towards that addiction (unlike drugs, for example, which are inherently addictive to all humans).
    Some slot machines/casino games are designed to appeal to problem gamblers. DK and co, however, do not design these games, and state regulators do already control aspects of their design. For online operators, this doesn't represent most of their revenue and, I suspect, most would be quite happy not to provide these products.
    triceratops · 1790703094 · focus · HN ↗
    > unlike drugs, for example, which are inherently addictive to all humans
    Define "drugs". Alcohol is a drug. Most users aren't addicts. So is tobacco. Most users are addicts. Cannabis? More like alcohol than tobacco in terms of addictiveness.
    There may be some selection bias. Smoking tobacco is an unpleasant sensation. There's no reason to do it other than the addiction and the effects on your brain chemistry afterwards. Whereas many alcoholic drinks taste great in their own right and would be consumed even if they had no chemical effects.
    I suspect gambling is like alcohol or cannabis. Engaging in it affects brain chemistry. For some people that's addictive. Most people are able to enjoy the activity without being hooked.
    jlarocco · 1790704870 · focus · HN ↗
    As a former smoker (I started and quit twice), I strongly disagree that "Smoking tobacco is an unpleasant sensation."
    It's terrible for your health, it's "burning money", it literally makes you stink, it makes you winded walking up stairs, and is generally terrible.
    But the little head rush you get starting the day with a coffee and a cigarette feels great.
    triceratops · 1790704971 · focus · HN ↗
    > But the little head rush you get starting the day with a coffee and a cigarette feels great.
    That's the effect on brain chemistry I referred to.
    Do you actually enjoy the smoke in your mouth, burning your eyes and lungs?
    A cold beer on a hot day is refreshing just for its temperature alone. A fruity cocktail tastes good because sugar tastes good. What's enjoyable about the physical sensations produced by smoke?
    I mean maybe we're arguing semantics, because the pleasure of eating sugar is possibly also an alteration of brain chemistry. But there is a difference.
    imzadi · 1790706491 · focus · HN ↗
    As a former smoker (quit in 2009), I absolutely LOVED smoking. The whole thing. Opening the pack, packing it down, pulling out the cigarette, lighting it, the first drag filling my lungs, the fullness in my chest. The only thing I didn't like was that it made me smell bad. When I started a job where I was working close to people and the smell made me insecure, I decided to quit. I still miss the ritual.
    Anyone who has quit smoking will tell you that the habit is the hardest part about quitting, not the physical addiction.

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