Online sports betting is often cited as one of the most addictive forms of online wagering, and online—and land-based—sportsbooks struggle to address the responsible gaming aspect of the activity. Last week, DraftKings announced a series of initiatives that it hopes will engage its audience by increasing awareness of RG tools. The efforts include a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that promotes responsible engagement, a PGA TOUR sweepstakes that promotes customer engagement with responsible engagement features, the launch of Gamalyze American Football in collaboration with Mindway AI, and new custom “cool-off” options that give customers enhanced flexibility when choosing a cool-off period.
Game Central
Let’s start with how Gamalyze American Football works. It apparently turns sports betting into a football game. But the link is buried in the RG section of their website and doesn’t really tell you what to expect; we’ll have to go to AI to see how it works. This is pretty appropriate since Mindway AI is a partner with DFK in this effort.
“Instead of a standard questionnaire, it uses a gamified simulation (rooted in neuroscience-based responsible gaming) that mimics decision-making during play,” Google AI tells us. “The tool analyzes your real-time choices, tracking how you respond to wins, losses, and risk outcomes. After completing the game, it generates an objective report detailing your sensitivity to rewards and losses, alongside tailored advice to keep your gaming experience safe and fun.
The report after playing the field-goal kicking game is interesting, but unless the average sports bettor has a degree in psychology, it’s a bit hard to understand.
Cutting-Edge Innovation or a Buried Feature?
Apparently you can also sign up for this program at “gas stations” and win free gas! Again, there’s no list of stations or ways to find this approach. And the experience is to be showcased throughout September at the DraftKings Sports Bar at Wrigley Field, Gillette Stadium for the New England Patriots’ home opener, and Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs’ home opener.
Sounds like fun, right? But if you actually find Gamalyze American Football on the website or are encouraged to try it without a deep dive, what good is it? Nonetheless, Lori Kalani, chief responsible gaming officer at DraftKings, believes the company is at the cutting edge of RG.
“At DraftKings, responsible engagement is embedded in how we operate and is essential to building trust with our customers and our long-term sustainability,” she said in a press release. “We’ve continued to invest in tools and resources that give customers enhanced access to information about their play and more choices for managing how they engage. From My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet to player-set limits and new custom cool-offs, we’re continuing to evolve our approach while promoting awareness and use of the tools and resources available to help customers play responsibly.”
Celebrity Power
DraftKings launched a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas. The pair are supposedly on a road trip to promote responsible engagement and raise awareness of available resources. These tools aim to help customers make informed choices and keep their gaming experience safe. Again, no mention of “tour stops” or any other information. DFK says it will reach customers through digital channels, bringing responsible engagement messaging to fans in an engaging way.
And are celebrities the way to spread the RG message? They surely encourage wagering, but do they have a responsible, positive impact on a troubled gambler?
Read about BetMGM‘s commitment to responsible gaming here.
And what better way to make gamblers aware of the RG tools than a contest! DraftKings is launching a new PGA TOUR sweepstakes for eligible customers, offering a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the WM Phoenix Open. To enter, players simply need to engage with responsible gaming features like My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet. Players can easily access these tools directly within the platform’s My Budget and Controls section. The promotion runs from September 16 through September 29. However, as of September 14, DraftKings had announced nothing on its website.
Cool It
It’s a little like self-exclusion, but DFK calls it “cooling off.” The company is now offering custom cool-offs, giving customers greater flexibility to choose a cool-off period that works for them. Customers—not “gamblers”—can select a custom cool-off period of any length between three and 364 days.
Again, all these tools are buried in the RG section of almost any sportsbook website. We all know that the first page of any website is the most important. So without that kind of visibility, how are bettors who may have a problem encouraged to find these tools? Nice try by DraftKings, but let’s get a little more inclusive. But, to be honest, it beats the Kalshis of the world by several touchdowns.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
DraftKings’ New RG Suite: Innovation or Optical Illusion?
Home | The Shuffle | DraftKings’ New RG Suite: Innovation or Optical Illusion?
Online sports betting is often cited as one of the most addictive forms of online wagering, and online—and land-based—sportsbooks struggle to address the responsible gaming aspect of the activity. Last week, DraftKings announced a series of initiatives that it hopes will engage its audience by increasing awareness of RG tools. The efforts include a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that promotes responsible engagement, a PGA TOUR sweepstakes that promotes customer engagement with responsible engagement features, the launch of Gamalyze American Football in collaboration with Mindway AI, and new custom “cool-off” options that give customers enhanced flexibility when choosing a cool-off period.
Game Central
Let’s start with how Gamalyze American Football works. It apparently turns sports betting into a football game. But the link is buried in the RG section of their website and doesn’t really tell you what to expect; we’ll have to go to AI to see how it works. This is pretty appropriate since Mindway AI is a partner with DFK in this effort.
“Instead of a standard questionnaire, it uses a gamified simulation (rooted in neuroscience-based responsible gaming) that mimics decision-making during play,” Google AI tells us. “The tool analyzes your real-time choices, tracking how you respond to wins, losses, and risk outcomes. After completing the game, it generates an objective report detailing your sensitivity to rewards and losses, alongside tailored advice to keep your gaming experience safe and fun.
Here’s how BetRivers helps players gamble responsibly.
The report after playing the field-goal kicking game is interesting, but unless the average sports bettor has a degree in psychology, it’s a bit hard to understand.
Cutting-Edge Innovation or a Buried Feature?
Apparently you can also sign up for this program at “gas stations” and win free gas! Again, there’s no list of stations or ways to find this approach. And the experience is to be showcased throughout September at the DraftKings Sports Bar at Wrigley Field, Gillette Stadium for the New England Patriots’ home opener, and Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs’ home opener.
Sounds like fun, right? But if you actually find Gamalyze American Football on the website or are encouraged to try it without a deep dive, what good is it? Nonetheless, Lori Kalani, chief responsible gaming officer at DraftKings, believes the company is at the cutting edge of RG.
“At DraftKings, responsible engagement is embedded in how we operate and is essential to building trust with our customers and our long-term sustainability,” she said in a press release. “We’ve continued to invest in tools and resources that give customers enhanced access to information about their play and more choices for managing how they engage. From My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet to player-set limits and new custom cool-offs, we’re continuing to evolve our approach while promoting awareness and use of the tools and resources available to help customers play responsibly.”
Celebrity Power
DraftKings launched a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas. The pair are supposedly on a road trip to promote responsible engagement and raise awareness of available resources. These tools aim to help customers make informed choices and keep their gaming experience safe. Again, no mention of “tour stops” or any other information. DFK says it will reach customers through digital channels, bringing responsible engagement messaging to fans in an engaging way.
And are celebrities the way to spread the RG message? They surely encourage wagering, but do they have a responsible, positive impact on a troubled gambler?
Read about BetMGM‘s commitment to responsible gaming here.
And what better way to make gamblers aware of the RG tools than a contest! DraftKings is launching a new PGA TOUR sweepstakes for eligible customers, offering a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the WM Phoenix Open. To enter, players simply need to engage with responsible gaming features like My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet. Players can easily access these tools directly within the platform’s My Budget and Controls section. The promotion runs from September 16 through September 29. However, as of September 14, DraftKings had announced nothing on its website.
Cool It
It’s a little like self-exclusion, but DFK calls it “cooling off.” The company is now offering custom cool-offs, giving customers greater flexibility to choose a cool-off period that works for them. Customers—not “gamblers”—can select a custom cool-off period of any length between three and 364 days.
Again, all these tools are buried in the RG section of almost any sportsbook website. We all know that the first page of any website is the most important. So without that kind of visibility, how are bettors who may have a problem encouraged to find these tools? Nice try by DraftKings, but let’s get a little more inclusive. But, to be honest, it beats the Kalshis of the world by several touchdowns.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
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History Playbook
On This Day In Sports History
On September 16, 1981, WBC champion Sugar Ray Leonard and WBA champion Thomas "Hitman" Hearns squared off at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in a legendary welterweight unification bout billed as "The Showdown." Trailing on all three judges' scorecards entering the late rounds, Leonard mounted a furious rally to stop Hearns via 14th-round TKO in one of the greatest mega-fights in boxing history.
On This Day In Sports History
On September 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali made boxing history at the Superdome in New Orleans by defeating Leon Spinks in a 15-round unanimous decision. With the victory, Ali became the first fighter in history to win the World Heavyweight Title three times.