Sports fans are suing online gambling sites DraftKings and FanDuel, claiming they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to an “addictive” product, according to a new lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court, accuses DraftKings and FanDevil of “deliberately and defectively designing their online sports gambling platforms to transform a known addictive machine into a permanent addition machine” with game and player data provided by the NFL and its betting data specialist partner Genius Sports.
Online sports betting has changed the gambling industry dramatically in recent years. Instead of traveling to a sports betting parlor and placing a bet before the game starts, gamblers can now place bets on their phones as the game is being played in real time.
The lawsuit claims that this new live microbetting can “hijack gamblers’ brains and immerse them in continuous betting.”
Online sports betting caused plaintiffs Christopher Sage and Terry Thompson to develop a severe gambling addiction, the suit alleges. Sage lost more than $170,300 on DraftKings and FanDuel. Thompson lost $1,856,000 on sports betting platforms.
“We filed this lawsuit because the fundamental nature of sports gambling products has changed dramatically since they were legalized in Pennsylvania in November 2018.” said Mark Gottlieb, an attorney for the plaintiffs. independent.
“Our customers are just two examples of sports fans and sports gamblers who have experienced significant harm due to these new and defectively designed sports microbetting products,” Gottlieb added.
The lawsuit alleges that DraftKings and FanDuel not only enable gamblers to wager anywhere, anytime, but have features “designed to encourage customers toward microbetting.”
“FanDuel and DraftKings may collect and analyze detailed behavioral data about each of their customers. They then use this behavioral data to create and market personalized gambling opportunities based on each customer’s unique wagering history and app usage,” the lawsuit alleges.
DraftKings and FanDuel send personalized push notifications “designed to capture and attract customers’ attention” with these personalized gambling opportunities, according to the lawsuit.
“Within just a few years of placing their first microbets on sportsbook apps, the plaintiffs lost almost everything – their money, their homes, their businesses, their families, and in the case of plaintiff Thompson, almost lost their lives.”
Sage and Thompson are seeking a jury trial on their claims against the online sports betting platforms and other defendants. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages and an injunction against the defendants from continuing the alleged wrongdoing.
“We want justice for our clients and hope that their case will ultimately help prevent similar harm to other sports fans and their families,” Gottlieb said. independent.
independent The NFL, Genius Sports, DraftKings and Fandeal have been reached for comment.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, call the National Problem Gambling Center at 1-800-MY-RESET.
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