LISBON, Portugal — Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, passionately defended his company's commitment to responsible gaming on Tuesday during a keynote panel at the SBC Summit. His remarks came in the wake of scrutiny from articles by The New York Times regarding DraftKings' use of AI, and ProPublica's report on the company's handling of problem gamblers.
When asked about responsible gaming by moderator Kirsty Gallagher, Robins expressed his frustration with misconceptions surrounding their motives. "I think a lot of people — and it’s frustrating for us — look at us and say, you’re motivated by the wrong things. You don’t want people to bet within their means; you want to take advantage of people. That could not be farther from the truth. Every single person in the company will tell you that’s not at all what we want. That’s the worst possible thing for our company, for our industry," he stated.
Robins elaborated on DraftKings’ approach to responsible gambling, emphasizing that it is an integral part of the company’s ethos. He noted, "A huge part of that culture around responsible gaming is making sure it’s not just a process, a set of things that people do, but it’s actually truly a part of the DNA of the company. Every single person in the company cares about it. If you ask anyone — from customer service associates to engineers — they will tell you that this is a priority for the company. It is something that we really, really emphasize day in and day out."
He touched on the challenges of personal responsibility in gambling. "There are things that of course can always be improved, but not for lack of effort. We are always trying. More on the consumer, on the responsibility side, that’s a trickier question, right? Because how do you ultimately tell people what is right and wrong for them? That’s tough. But what you can do is create tools, opportunities for them to understand what they’re doing and to suggest limits or cool-off periods."
Robins likened betting to other forms of personal entertainment, encouraging responsible budgeting. "In the end, it’s about empowering the customer to do what is right for them. For a lot of people, it’s not necessarily an all-or-nothing; it’s how do you manage this? If you love something — whether it’s dining out or shopping — you should set a budget to ensure you’re not spending beyond your means. The same applies to betting: if you love to bet, that’s great, but you should still manage your budget accordingly."
He reiterated his frustration with public perceptions, noting that some critics do not afford DraftKings the benefit of the doubt. "Really, the important thing for us is to make sure that we’re doing the best we can. But the problem we often face is not everyone perceives it that way. Some people don’t give us that benefit of the doubt. They think we are motivated by the wrong things, which is tough for those of us in the industry. However, I can unequivocally tell you that the culture we have is absolutely the opposite. It’s heavily focused on responsibility, sustainability, and doing the right thing for the customer every day."
Robins concluded by emphasizing DraftKings' suite of responsible gaming tools, which include self-regulated deposit limits and tracking time spent on their Super App, designed to enhance the user experience.
