DraftKings CEO Says New York Times Has Been Writing ‘Slanderous’ Stories About Them for a Decade

On Wednesday, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins criticized the New York Times for publishing "slanderous" articles about the company for over a decade, according to TheWrap's Grill business conference. "It's disappointing that a publication that I, at least growing up, viewed as reputable just prints complete, factually incorrect information and misleading things," Robins told The Wrap's Sharon Waxman during a panel at TheGrill 2026.

The specific story that Robins was referencing was the recent New York Times report titled "How DraftKings Uses A.I. to Target the Gamblers Likeliest to Lose," which obtained internal documents and interviewed multiple former DraftKings employees. The employees expressed concern that the company was exploiting problem gamblers, but Robins vehemently denied these allegations.

He pointed out that the company had provided the New York Times with almost 20 pages of documents detailing their responsible gaming practices and warned against targeting problem gamblers. Robins also refuted claims that the company uses models to target problem gamblers, stating that they actually provide warnings and shut down accounts for those exhibiting signs of problematic gambling.

He emphasized that DraftKings has a dedicated Chief Responsible Gaming Officer and a team of 50 to 60 people focused on responsible gaming efforts. Robins assured the audience that the company had safeguards in place to prevent targeting individuals based on their potential to develop gambling issues. The conversation then shifted to SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies), with former SPAC pioneer Harry Sloan discussing the resurgence of SPACs in the market.