An Illinois man has filed a federal lawsuit against DraftKings, alleging the online sportsbook’s platform fueled his gambling addiction, leading him to lose more than $2 million, drain his wedding savings, lose his job, and experience a mental health crisis.
The lawsuit, filed on June 24 in federal court in Chicago, claims 32-year-old Dane Miller developed a severe gambling addiction after joining DraftKings in 2020. According to court filings reviewed by The Independent, Miller argues the company recognized his escalating gambling behavior but continued encouraging him to place more bets through VIP rewards and personalized promotions instead of intervening.
DraftKings had not responded publicly to a request for comment at the time The Independent published its report.
Lawsuit claims VIP program intensified gambling addiction
According to the complaint, Miller became a DraftKings VIP in 2021 after increasing his betting activity. The lawsuit alleges the company rewarded him with promotions, free bets, deposit bonuses, event tickets, and regular communication from a dedicated VIP host.
The complaint claims Miller eventually exhausted his wedding fund and relied on credit card advances, personal loans, and withdrawals from his retirement savings to continue gambling. After he lost his job in September 2024, his addiction reportedly worsened.
The lawsuit further alleges that shortly before he was hospitalized with suicidal ideation in October 2024, DraftKings sent him multiple sportsbook credits intended to encourage additional betting. Following treatment, Miller entered an intensive outpatient recovery program and later voluntarily enrolled in Illinois’ gambling self-exclusion program.
Attorney Yvonne Flaherty, who represents Miller, told The Independent that her client has since recovered significant parts of his life.
“He’s in recovery, and has been now for many months,”
Flaherty said.
“He’s working on his family, he has regained employment, but all of those things took time to repair. It’s an ongoing process.”
Flaherty argued that online gambling platforms have a responsibility to reduce the risks associated with addictive behavior.
“Once they put the product out there, they have an obligation to make it reasonably safe,”
she told The Independent.
The lawsuit alleges DraftKings uses personalized algorithms and behavioral data to maximize player engagement by encouraging users to continue betting and chase losses. These claims have not been proven in court, and DraftKings has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Part of a broader legal debate over online sports betting
The complaint also names Casino Queen Inc., DraftKings’ Illinois retail partner, as a defendant because state law requires online sportsbooks to partner with a licensed land-based casino.
The case arrives as online sports betting continues expanding across the United States. According to the lawsuit, more than 30 states now permit legal online sportsbooks, while researchers have increasingly examined links between expanded sports betting access and higher rates of problem gambling.
Miller is seeking compensatory, punitive, and other damages for financial losses, medical expenses, emotional distress, and lost earning capacity. The lawsuit remains pending, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.
