TLDR
- Dane Miller, 32, says he lost over $2 million on DraftKings after opening his account in 2020
- DraftKings allegedly gave him VIP status, perks, and daily contact from a host even as his losses mounted
- Miller lost his job, drained his 401(k), and was hospitalized for suicidal thoughts in late 2024
- The lawsuit accuses DraftKings of using algorithms designed to exploit emotionally vulnerable users
- Miller is seeking treble damages; Casino Queen is named as a co-defendant under Illinois law
An Illinois man is suing DraftKings, claiming the sports betting platform ignored signs of his gambling addiction and helped push him into financial and personal ruin.
Dane Miller, a 32-year-old from Illinois, filed the lawsuit in Chicago federal court. He says he lost more than $2 million in wagers after creating his DraftKings account in 2020.
Miller says the losses wiped out his wedding fund, cost him his job, and left him suicidal before he entered treatment.
VIP Perks While Losses Mounted
DraftKings gave Miller VIP status in May 2021, according to the complaint. The platform then offered him profit boosts, deposit matches, free bets, and tickets to live sports events.
A VIP host allegedly contacted Miller daily. Even after he drained his wedding savings, the host reportedly rewarded his “loyalty” with two suite tickets to a game at Soldier Field.
To keep gambling, Miller turned to credit card cash advances, personal loans, and his 401(k) retirement account.
In September 2024, his employer found out about his gambling and let him go. The following month, Miller wrote a suicide note and was hospitalized for severe suicidal thoughts.
Just two weeks before his hospitalization, DraftKings had allegedly sent him five separate $200 sportsbook credits.
After leaving the hospital on November 5, Miller relapsed almost immediately and reinstalled the app on his phone.
He later entered an intensive outpatient program and joined Illinois’ self-exclusion list.
Lawsuit Targets DraftKings’ Algorithms
The core of Miller’s legal case targets the technology DraftKings uses. The complaint accuses the company of using “personalized algorithms” that “reinforce illusions of control, buttress loss aversion, and encourage the user to chase their losses.”
Miller’s filing says the platform is built to identify when a bettor is emotionally vulnerable and then delivers targeted content to keep them engaged.
The lawsuit claims this leads users to overestimate their skill and their chances of winning, creating “a continual loop of chasing losses.”
The complaint also points to DraftKings’ past international operations. It notes the company held licenses in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Malta, and the UK but exited those markets when regulators restricted the use of algorithms and personal data.
By shifting focus to the US, where regulations are looser, the complaint argues DraftKings has created a “disaster” for players like Miller.
Illinois law requires online sportsbooks to partner with a physical casino. Because of this, Miller’s suit also names Casino Queen, a riverboat casino operated by Bally’s Corporation and owned by hedge fund Standard General, as a co-defendant.
Miller is seeking treble damages along with compensatory, exemplary, and punitive damages, to be decided by a jury. The complaint lists medical costs, emotional distress, lost earnings, and diminished quality of life as harms.
His attorney said the goal is also to raise awareness and push for changes in how DraftKings manages its product.
