DraftKings CEO Jason Robins defends responsible gaming record at SBC Summit

DraftKings chief executive Jason Robins gave an impassioned defence of his company's approach to responsible gambling during a keynote panel at SBC Summit in Lisbon, according to SBC Americas.

The appearance, alongside Michael Jordan and Sportradar chief executive Carsten Koerl, came days after The New York Times and ProPublica published articles examining DraftKings' use of artificial intelligence and its handling of problem gamblers.

Asked about responsible gaming by moderator Kirsty Gallagher, Robins rejected the suggestion that the company profits from encouraging customers to bet beyond their means. "That could not be farther from the truth," he said, adding that "every single person in the company will tell you that it's not at all what we want. That's the worst possible thing for our company, for our industry."

Robins said responsible gaming functions as more than a compliance exercise at DraftKings, describing it as something built into the company's identity. "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," he said, according to SBC Americas, adding that customer service staff and engineers alike would describe it as a priority.

He acknowledged room for improvement while insisting the company is not falling short through lack of trying. On the question of how far an operator should go in dictating customer behaviour, Robins said DraftKings instead focuses on giving customers tools: deposit limits, cool-off periods and, in more serious cases, account blocks for those using the product irresponsibly.

Robins drew a comparison between budgeting for betting and budgeting for other leisure spending, such as dining out or shopping. "Same thing with betting: if you love to bet, that's a good thing, that's a fun thing that makes you happy, you still should set a budget. You should still make sure you're doing it within your means," he said.

He also referenced comments made the same day by MGM Resorts chief executive Bill Hornbuckle at the G2E convention in Las Vegas, who described a negative "twist" in recent media coverage of the industry. Robins said scepticism toward operators' motives remains a persistent challenge. "Some people don't give us that benefit of the doubt," he said, according to SBC Americas, insisting the company's culture is "heavily focused on responsibility, heavily focused on long-term sustainability."

Robins pointed to DraftKings' existing suite of responsible gaming tools, including self-set deposit limits and tracking of time spent on the company's Super App, as evidence of an effort to deliver what he called a "positive, happy experience" for customers.