DraftKings co-founder and CEO Jason Robins thinks parents share the responsibility of keeping children away from gambling, alongside the broader gaming industry and his $10 billion company.
Appearing this week on CNBC with gaming reporter Contessa Brewer, Robins discussed how raising children in a culture where gambling is prevalent presents new challenges for parents. It’s his belief that keeping lines of communication open between parents and their kids is key in preventing underage gambling.
I think [gambling] is something every parent should have conversations with their kids about,” Robins said.
According to the DraftKings executive, family conversations surrounding gambling should be normalized at home, comparable to discussions regarding alcohol and sex.
“I talk to them about everything,” Robins said of his relationship with his children. “I think the important thing is to have a transparent relationship with your kids where they feel like they can ask you anything and you can have an open conversation.”
Youth Gambling on the Rise
The expansion of legal sports betting and its widespread endorsement by professional and collegiate leagues have driven a surge in gambling among younger adults. Coupled with sports prediction markets that permit individuals 18 and older to wager, concerns over youth problem gambling continue to intensify.
DraftKings now operates across all 50 states, leveraging DraftKings Predictions in jurisdictions where traditional sports wagering remains illegal. Because prediction markets fall under federal oversight rather than state gaming regulations, operators circumvent local restrictions—though federal and state courts continue to address ongoing challenges over state regulatory authority.
This week, the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University suggested that almost 43% of U.S. adolescents aged 13 to 17 gambled over the past year. Of those teens who gambled, almost 40% demonstrated some level of problem gambling, and 10.3% met the clinical definition of “high-risk problem gambling.”
Robins and DraftKings have been accused of fueling youth gambling.
Financial guru Dave Ramsey has repeatedly taken shots at the online sportsbook, iGaming, and prediction market operator, saying “DraftKings isn’t the king of nothing except their own pocketbook.”
They’re screwing an entire generation of young men. That’s why they can afford to buy all of these ads,” Ramsey said in January.
DraftKings and its primary rival, FanDuel, are also the subject of several federal, state, and city lawsuits on allegations that the companies have engaged in deceptive marketing practices.
The Gambling Talk
After commissioning a poll that found only about half of parents are talking about gambling with their teens, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) said it would develop educational tools and materials to guide parents through the conversation.
“We’re hearing from parents who want to better understand the risks and are asking for practical resources to help them have these conversations with their kids,” said NCPG Board Chair Derek Longmeier.
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