The city of Baltimore sued DraftKings and Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, on Thursday, accusing the sportsbooks of engaging in “deceptive and unfair practices” to target and exploit compulsive gamblers.
City Of Baltimore Filed Lawsuit In Baltimore City Circuit Court
The complaint was filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court by City Solicitor Ebony Thompson on behalf of Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Council, alleging that the gaming operators use “misleading promotions” to attract bettors and then leverage data and analytics to ensure that problem gamblers continue betting.
That violates the city’s Consumer Protection Ordinance. The lawsuit claims both DraftKings and FanDuel operate under a “two-pronged scheme to harm Baltimoreans,” and the operators use “misleading promotions” like “bonus bets.”
“These companies are engaging in shady practices, and the people of our city are literally paying the price,” Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott said in a news release.
“DraftKings and FanDuel have specifically targeted our most vulnerable residents — including those struggling with gambling disorders — and have caused significant harm as a result. This lawsuit is a critical step to hold them accountable and protect all Baltimoreans.”
Baltimore City Department Of Law, DiCello Levitt Are Representing Scott, City Council
The Baltimore City Department of Law and DiCello Levitt are representing Scott and the City Council. This case was pursued shortly after it was brought to the city’s attention.
DiCello Levitt Founding Partner Adam Levitt added:
“Putting profits over people, these companies have engaged in unfair, abusive, and deceptive trade practices. We stand with the City of Baltimore in their efforts to safeguard Baltimoreans by holding DraftKings and FanDuel accountable and ensuring they implement responsible gambling measures to prevent further harm.
“The predatory practices of sports betting sites are a national problem, and the City of Baltimore is taking a lead role in efforts to curtail them. You can bet we will bring the fight.”
Bonus Bets Are Typically Only Valid For Seven Days
In addition, the lawsuit mentions that both companies’ bonus bets are often only valid for seven days, but it goes on to state that a week is still long enough to entice problem gamblers and negatively affect younger bettors.
“Defendants are not interested in people merely dipping their toes in the water: They want bettors to bet, in significant amounts, over and over,” the complaint reads. “Some get hooked, and that’s the point.”
One company owned by Flutter has collected “at least 186 attributes for each bettor, including their propensity to gamble and susceptibility to marketing,” the suit reads.
Several users are set up in the sportsbooks’ VIP programs, where they are connected with hosts who provide them with exclusive offers and reach out to them “to keep these players betting as much as possible,” the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit also cites a study from the University of Maryland’s Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling that found 20.8% of online sports bettors showed signs of disordered gambling, compared to only 11.3% of in-person sports bettors.
The city of Baltimore reportedly targeted both sports betting industry giants because bettors wagered $278.5 million at FanDuel and $178.9 million at DraftKings in January 2025, the suit said.
Jose is an iGaming analyst with wide experience within the sector. He has been working as content writer on casino and betting websites for more than 10 years, contributing on websites like Pokerlistings, Casinobee, Betpack among others, sharing his insights and perspective for the future ofthe iGaming market.
