Former employees detailed how DraftKings sidelined a separate tool that assigned "risk scores" to flag gamblers headed for financial trouble. The sportsbook instead employs "player-profiling" to restrict "sharps," or skilled winners, by capping their maximum bet allowance to protect profits. This strategy increases margins from a floor of 4.5% to as high as 20% by filtering out profitable bettors.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Story
DraftKings Targets Losing Gamblers With AI in $1 Billion Marketing Push
Business30 days ago
The sports betting app uses machine learning to identify users who frequently lose money and sends them customized offers to increase their betting activity. The company spends more than $1 billion annually on sales and marketing, including deposit promotions designed to attract high-spending "whales." A data science team developed the predictive model in 2023 by analyzing daily account balances and the ratio of losses to total bets.
Looking for more context or analysis?
Tilt chat provides reliable, tailored insights, alerts, and automations.