In Case You Haven't Heard…

A lawsuit filed last week accused FanDuel and DraftKings of using data supplied by the NFL to offer a “known addictive product,” ESPN reported. In addition, both sportsbooks were charged with using VIP hosts to encourage two plaintiffs to keep betting, eventually leading to gambling disorders and financial losses. Also named in the suit are the NFL and its data partner, Genius Sports, in addition to five sportsbook employees who were assigned as VIP hosts to plaintiffs Christopher Sage and Terry Thompson. According to ESPN, the complaint alleges that DraftKings and FanDuel used the NFL's live data feed to offer in‐game microbetting, a form of gambling believed to be more addictive. “Attorneys for Sage and Thompson say the two Pennsylvania men developed severe gambling disorders and lost more than $2 million combined to the sportsbooks over several years,” according to ESPN. Both men had gambled without any problems for almost two decades, according to the attorneys. “Within just a few years of placing their first microbets on the sportsbook apps, Plaintiffs nearly lost everything,” according to ESPN. “Sage placed himself on Pennsylvania's self‐exclusion gambling list on March 15, 2025, the same month he was formally diagnosed with a gambling addiction disorder, but continued to receive messages from his DraftKings VIP host, according to the lawsuit.”