DraftKings Sportsbook Addiction: Signs & Causes

Using a website or app like DraftKings Sportsbook & Casino can be addictive for many individuals. Many hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. struggle with DraftKings gambling addiction.

According to the most recent company figures, around 3.5 million people actively use DraftKings, but that figure doesn’t include the inactive users who quit for various reasons but often because of negative experiences with gambling.

To be fair to DraftKings, mobile phone addiction has been observed across many different types of apps. However, with DraftKings, the gambling activities it facilitates—sports betting, online casino and daily fantasy sports contests—are extremely addictive.

The first step to overcoming an addiction to using DraftKings is to be aware of what underpins the addiction to the product. The platform bears immense responsibility for the compulsive use it encourages.

This article will cover why DraftKings is addictive and what problematic signs to look for in your play on the highly dangerous platform.

Is DraftKings Addictive?

You’re not alone if you’re asking yourself this question following use of the DraftKings gambling platform. Millions of people have experienced signs of a sports betting problem.

Here are several factors that contribute to the addictiveness of DraftKings and similar apps.

Ease of Access to DraftKings

A casino and sportsbook in your pocket.

DraftKings, accessible online and through mobile apps, allows users to place bets or enter gambling contests anytime and from anywhere, which obviously encourages more frequent play.

With apps like DraftKings, sports gambling can be done 24/7/365.

The lack of distance and time barriers, which are present for gambling in a brick-and-mortar establishment, becomes an immense problem for many users.

Whether at work, school, home or anywhere else, would-be gamblers can use DraftKings.

Studies have shown that the rate of online sports gambling problems is 30-40%, far higher than many other forms of gambling and worse than betting on sports in a retail casino.

Instant Gratification on DraftKings

The dopamine resulting from using apps like DraftKings can be highly habit-forming for many users. The brain chemical gives incentive for continued and potentially dangerous usage.

Stemming from the ease of access, DraftKings can provide a rush of dopamine to a player whenever and wherever, leading to addiction for many.

The quick turnaround of daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests and the more or less immediate outcomes of sports bets can provide instant gratification, enticing users to play more frequently in search of wins and the same feeling of dopamine previously experienced.

This dynamic can create a vicious loop, leading to issues such as chasing losses.

The Illusion of Skill Playing DraftKings

Sports betting is not a game of skill, especially not in the near or medium term. While it’s possible to begin turning a profit over the long run if you devote your life to sports gambling, sportsbooks ban winners.

Attempting to become the extremely rare case of someone who develops a sports betting system or model to win slightly more than you lose often leads to failure and addiction.

Furthermore, because daily fantasy sports involve selecting players based on their performance potential, it can create an illusion of skill or control over the outcome, potentially leading individuals to bet more under the belief that they can consistently beat the odds.

DraftKings Promotions & Bonuses

Online sportsbooks like DraftKings lure customers to register and deposit using so-called bonuses and promotions. The advertisements make it appear that the offer involves real cash, but in reality it’s only site credit that can’t be withdrawn into your bank account.

These misleading deals give users a false sense of value in gambling on sports.

Framing a gambling credit as a “bonus” is especially misleading considering that most people associate the idea of a bonus with cash, in the example of a holiday bonus from an employer.

Previously, online gambling apps would go as far as to call their promos “risk-free,” which is obviously extremely deceptive. Some state policymakers and regulators scrutinized this verbiage and the sports betting industry subsequently moved away from the “risk-free” language.

Still, sports betting bonuses and promos are highly predatory and cause widespread addiction.

One of the most vicious ways of targeting idle users is through push notifications, which send a gambling “bonus” offer to the forefront of your mobile device.

DraftKings Social Features

DraftKings’ social aspects, such as DFS contests where you compete in gambling against friends or in public leagues, can increase the addictiveness of the platform.

The sportsbook also has so-called “trending bets,” which are designed to create a “fear of missing out” (also known as FOMO). This dynamic can induce stress and anxiety in users who see that hundreds or thousands of other DraftKings players are making that bet, and that they could be missing an opportunity if they don’t gamble on it too.

Sportsbooks like DraftKings also heavily promote gambling products through social media advertisements disguised as cheeky posts. This marketing strategy helps fuel addiction.

Signs of a DraftKings Gambling Problem

The signs of an addiction to the DraftKings platform mirror the general signs of a gambling problem. However, a sports betting platform can cause some specific issues that are crucial to monitor. Self-awareness is vital to determining if your gambling is getting out of hand.

Preoccupation with Gambling

Do you find it hard not to think about using DraftKings or checking the status of your wagers on the platform? This is a common sign of a problem, as this type of mindset indicates that gambling has begun to control your thoughts and emotions.

A preoccupation with gambling can begin to erode personal relationships, but the fracture of close relationships usually comes at a more advanced stage in the addiction.

If you notice that you’ve started to compulsively think about using DraftKings, we recommend that you stop gambling entirely and reassess your activity.

Inability to Stop

Along with a mental preoccupation with DraftKings, you might find it difficult to stop gambling. Maybe you think there’s a bet to make that you know will win (a classic gambler’s fallacy), or you promise yourself that if you recover previous losses (also known as chasing losses) you will quit. These are all indicators that gambling might be controlling your life.

Along with being able to stop is an inability to scale back the size of your bets. Consistently ambling for sums of money beyond your means indicates an ability to cut back.

Financial Problems

Often a preoccupation with and an inability to stop gambling will eventually lead to financial issues, including lacking the funds to pay your pills. Borrowing money to gamble is also a classic sign that gambling has begun to adversely impact your personal finances.

Not all problem gamblers experience financial problems in the early stages of an addiction. Many gamblers often report that a big win early provided the funds to begin to develop a problem. A developing problem gambler might break even for an extended period of time before the financial problems begin to creep into their life.

How to Get Help for DraftKings Addiction

The first step is telling close friends and/or family about your struggles with betting. Honesty with the people you trust is crucial to bringing your gambling problem out into the open.

From there, you can seek online or in-person support groups, such as Gamblers Anonymous. These communities of problem gamblers can help fend off feelings of loneliness in your struggles. You are never alone in your fight against gambling addiction.

You can also seek professional help in the form of counseling, which could also include a psychiatric referral to determine if any medication could help you deal with possible anxiety and depression that underpins your urges to gamble despite the consequences.

And finally, if you’re using a gambling platform like DraftKings your state may have a self-exclusion program that can force DraftKings and other state-licensed platforms from taking your money. Self-exclusion lists can also prevent DraftKings from marketing its product to you.

There is no magic formula to dealing with an addiction to betting on DraftKings, but there are helpful ways to limit the damage caused by your compulsive play and begin your recovery journey.