Amid growing public health concerns, operators like DraftKings have touted “responsible gaming” tools and prompts. But as I went off the deep end, I found they were no match for the incentives and product design pushing me to keep going.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1426848/i-deliberately-bet-like-a-problem-gambler-draftkings-made-me-a-vip

  • Recklessness Rewarded: I blew $1,800 in one night by chasing my losses with bigger bets, a classic sign of problem gambling. The next day, DraftKings invited me to audition for its VIP program.
  • Casino Craze: Sportsbooks want to expand into online casinos, where you can lose a lot fast. I played 500 rounds of blackjack in a weekend — about half of my total bets over 10 weeks.
  • Profit Over Protection: The responsible gaming prompts telling me to pump the brakes were no match for the product design and promotions pushing me to do more gambling.
    • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      2 days ago

      I had a friend whose mom was a severe gambling addict. We visited them in Lake Charles and we got to stay in a free suite and ate for free at the buffet every night, thanks to the mom’s status at the casinos. My friend told me that her mom had lost approximately $500,000 in total, and this was a woman that made $25 an hour as a nurse. That’s about 10 years of career earnings totally pissed away.