People on the self-exclusion list in Massachusetts received the email about a ‘bonus bet'.
A widespread notification from DraftKings in mid-August about settlement of PGA Tour golf bets mostly was met with harmless bemusement and confusion from those receiving the email.
The recipients consisted of those who have made wagers on golf using the online sportsbook – just not this particular bet. It also included some who don’t even have a DraftKings account.
But it is another group of recipients that may land the Boston-based sports betting giant in hot water with regulators.
DraftKings message was intended for 13 bettors
That’s because during a Massachusetts Gaming Commission hearing on Thursday (12 September), it was revealed that the email was intended to be sent to only 13 bettors whose wagers were relevant to the settlement. But it actually went out to more than a million users. The potential hot water comes from the fact that the commission found that 184 residents on the voluntary self-exclusion list received the email.
This is a group that has found that gambling became problematic in their lives, so they have completely walked away.
For some compulsive gamblers, merely receiving such an email could be upsetting. Or could create a risk of reigniting an interest in wagering.
The commission unanimously agreed to schedule a hearing to go over further details of how the glitch occurred. It will then determine what, if any, civil penalty DraftKings would face.
Read the full story here.
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