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. SoftTalker · 1790702655 · focus · HN ↗
    Hope you're including all the state governments and their lotteries in this assessment.
    tuvix · 1790703323 · focus · HN ↗
    The incentives driving state lotteries are not nearly as strong as those driving private companies like Draft Kings but yeah not great either.
    Used to work at 7-Eleven and we would have people come in and out for hours on end pouring money into scratch tickets.
    State lotteries are just a regressive tax targeting the poor.
    autoexec · 1790705342 · focus · HN ↗
    > State lotteries are just a regressive tax targeting the poor.
    As bad as the odds are, the lottery is still the best chance most players will ever have to be millionaires
    fragmede · 1790705738 · focus · HN ↗
    To be a millionaire, maybe, but a $300/month scrather habit over 20 years, in a 401k that's just the SP 500 gets you a quarter million dollars, which isn't nothing to retire on, vs approximately $0 from scratchers.
    gambiting · 1790705879 · focus · HN ↗
    Dude no offense but you must be vastly overestimating how many people can save $300 a month. We're talking about people buying couple lottery tickets a month.
    fragmede · 1790706154 · focus · HN ↗
    That's the problem though. I know many people who can't save $300/month, but easily spend that much in consumables, scratchers, alcohol, drugs, etc. On the subject of gambling addiction, $300/month by someone who can't afford it absolutely happens. Go to a GA meeting sometime. They get their paycheck, gamble it away, and then don't have money for rent. Unrestricted gambling is the devil and will be the downfall of America. I'm not one for "shoulds", but there should be something like an accredited gambler law, where you're not allowed to gamble more than 1/3rd your paycheck except in certain circumstances.
    gambiting · 1790706941 · focus · HN ↗
    So we're in agreement. Those people didn't have $300 to save on anything to begin with, they just spent it anyway at the expense of other needs.

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