A class action lawsuit has been filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court against online sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel. Attorney Jennifer Hoekstra, who represents plaintiffs Adrian Payton, Toi Smith and Yolanda Perkins, says the two companies go to great lengths to keep users addicted to online gambling.
“When someone hasn’t been in the app for a certain number of time, they start getting a bombardment of notifications; either for risk-free or bonus bets or bonus cash, to try and lure them back in,” Hoekstra said.
Hoekstra says DraftKings and FanDuel use predatory methods to keep users addicted so that they can maximize their profits.
“They sim so much about someone that they can almost predict their betting habits so they can get people potentially when they are at their lowest moment, after they’ve lost over $100 or $1,000,” Hoekstra noted.
Hoekstra says the suit also names the two casino licensees, Amelia Belle Casino and Bally’s Baton Rouge, whose state licenses anchor the apps’ operation in Louisiana.
“We’re both asking for the money back, as well as an understanding that the casinos who are the sublicensees under DraftKings and FanDuel are violating their duty to supervise what’s running through their licenses,” Hoekstra explained.
Together, DraftKings and FanDuel hold 75% of the online betting market in Louisiana.
