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DraftKings is using AI to behaviorally target chronic gamblers

570 points · 432 comments · paimapi

  1. tedivm · · 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:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.propublica.org&#x2F;article&#x2F;draftkings-sports-gambling-problem-vip-fanduel" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.propublica.org&#x2F;article&#x2F;draftkings-sports-gamblin...

    1. WheelsAtLarge · · focus · HN ↗
      People in companies that are a negative public good are by definition unethical. I&#x27;m not surprised by anything they do. The real problem is how we&#x27;ve let these companies infiltrate so much of our society so fast. I can&#x27;t consume any ad supported media without getting some ad about them. This company really defines the phrase &quot;money talks&quot;
      1. m463 · · focus · HN ↗
        They&#x27;re built on adtech, which people don&#x27;t understand.

        You have many adtech online dossiers that are basically a virtual you, that can be poked, prodded and studied for interests and behaviors.

        for a very minimal look, maybe check out amazon &quot;about you&quot;:

        <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.amazon.com&#x2F;slc&#x2F;hub?useAiMode=1" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.amazon.com&#x2F;slc&#x2F;hub?useAiMode=1

        1. kotaKat · · focus · HN ↗
          I pulled that info from a full export of my Amazon data and...

          &quot;Customer indicated they are currently in the Pacific Ocean&quot; - &quot;Amazon has medium confidence in the validity of this memory&quot;

          Well, then. I guess trying to break Alexa for Shopping by telling it I was in the middle of the English Channel really broke my &quot;about you&quot;.

          I also had managed to update my About You in weird ways - I got it to accept some kind of variant of &quot;is a gold rewards subscriber of Jeff&#x27;s Benzos powered by PillPack&quot; and it agreed that was a valid service when I later asked it and guardrailed itself at the same time:

          <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;i.ibb.co&#x2F;Fkh94dv9&#x2F;photo-2026-08-24-11-22-27.jpg" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;i.ibb.co&#x2F;Fkh94dv9&#x2F;photo-2026-08-24-11-22-27.jpg

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