Attorneys from Loevy + Loevy, a civil rights law firm in Chicago, filed a class-action lawsuit for five Pennsylvania plaintiffs against DraftKings. The suit, entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, accuses DraftKings’ online sportsbook of deceiving users and leading them to bet and lose significant money, violating both state and federal laws.

This Pennsylvania complaint adds to lawsuits Loevy + Loevy has filed elsewhere — other active cases involve Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, and New York over similar DraftKings practices. In the Pennsylvania internet gambling market, DraftKings has the largest share, driving much of the sector’s recent expansion.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported that in 2024, online casino platforms collected revenues over $2.18 billion. Sportsbooks on the internet provided the state another $500 million that year.

The legal complaint says DraftKings gains high revenues by misleading people and causing gambling addiction. According to the document, DraftKings pushes legal boundaries, gives confusing messages to customers, and attracts new gamblers who may develop addiction.

Allegations include claims that DraftKings targets users with gambling addiction. This group includes people who are listed on “self-exclusion” registries and others who have written to DraftKings to request that their accounts be closed to prevent further gambling activity. Instead of blocking these users from gambling, DraftKings enables their play and sends more offers, encouraging bigger bets, despite knowing these users fight gambling addiction.

The lawsuit focuses on some main DraftKings promotions. Plaintiffs argue that “Risk-Free Bets” and deposit match offers look attractive to new customers but actually contain terms that are hidden or hard to understand. The fine print often requires users to deposit and gamble their own money, which most will lose, even when the promotions appear to offer extra protection.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs highlight the “Casino Deposit Match Promotion” that DraftKings advertises as matching 100% of a deposit up to $2,000. Under the complaint, these “matching funds” depend on strict “playthrough requirements” that ask players to wager 20–30 times the total of deposit and match amount within seven days.

A person depositing $2,000 to unlock a $2,000 match must then bet $40,000 in one week. If this amount is not gambled, all promotion-linked money, even the original deposit, is lost. Attorney Isaac Green says such promotions are structured to push casual players toward addictive behavior.

Players discovering these strict requirements may try to withdraw from the bonus program. While quitting forfeits the bonus, it also causes the player to lose their initial deposit. The lawsuit further claims that DraftKings doesn’t disconnect users who show gambling risks. Instead, it assigns “VIP Hosts,” who act friendly but use tailored methods to make players bet more.

These VIP Hosts reach out after a player suffers a big loss or hasn’t played for several days. They offer new promotions that often need higher deposits and more betting activity. Representation for the plaintiffs includes Michael Kanovitz, Jon Loevy, Isaac Green, and Aaron Tucek from Loevy + Loevy.

The charges against DraftKings cite multiple breaches of state laws, including sections of the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law against deceptive practices and false advertising. Plaintiffs seek court orders to stop DraftKings’ actions and request compensation for impacted users.

According to the complaint, DraftKings promotes the idea that everyone wins when using the gambling service. The actual outcome gives all benefits to the company, not its customers.