FanDuel Takes Flak for Offering VIP Gamblers a Family Trip to the Zoo

Gambling,

FanDuel Sportsbook is facing criticism after reportedly rewarding its top gamblers with a family outing to the Philadelphia Zoo.

According to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer, FanDuel extended a VIP perk to some of its high-volume gamblers, letting them bring their kids to the zoo’s annual Halloween event, “Boo at the Zoo.” A digital flyer obtained by the paper advertised “family entertainment” and “VIP treatment for all ages” including complimentary parking, lunch, and snacks for the sportsbook’s best customers and up to three guests.

FanDuel said in a statement that it is not a sponsor of ‘Boo at the Zoo’ and that it purchased tickets through normal channels to give customers the option of attending. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is reportedly looking into the sportsbook’s betting perk.

Offering “VIP treatment for all ages” is just one more way gambling companies can normalize sports betting.

Sports betting is legal to varying degrees in most states — including Arkansas, where people are on track to wager nearly a billion dollars on sports alone this year. But sportsbooks have come under scrutiny for using aggressive marketing that may appeal to problem gamblers, teens, and others who may be at risk for gambling disorders.

Researchers have repeatedly voiced concerns about sports betting advertisements that aggressively target young adults. Some platforms have been accused of hiring social media influencers to record deceptive videos appealing to young gamblers. A report from Common Sense Media found that among teen boys exposed to gambling content online, 59% said the content appeared in their feeds without them even looking for it.

Gambling disorder diagnoses have spiked in states with legalized sports betting. Studies have found people who gamble on sports may be twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems. In fact, a 2025 survey found one in four sports bettors worry that they cannot control their gambling.

Legalized gambling has become a serious problem nationwide — including Arkansas. Tax revenue from sports betting has not improved Arkansas’ roads or boosted the economy. As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas Lottery Still Using Long Odds, Big Prizes on Expensive Scratch-Off Tickets to Entice Gamblers

Gambling,

The Arkansas Lottery still relies heavily on expensive scratch-off tickets offering big prizes on long odds to drive revenue.

Financial reports show that since the State’s fiscal year began on July 1, nearly 78% of all lottery ticket sales in Arkansas have come from instant tickets — more than $100 million. But scratch-off lottery tickets also have a long history of being  associated with problem gambling and gambling addiction.

The Arkansas Lottery also sells expensive scratch-off tickets that controversially entice people to spend higher amounts of money on long odds for large prizes.

For example, the Arkansas Lottery currently advertises half a dozen scratch-off tickets that sell for $20 each. The top prizes on these tickets run anywhere from $50,000 to $1 million. However, at best, the odds of winning a break-even prize on one of them are approximately one in three. The odds of winning a jackpot prize on some are as high as one in a million or more.

Scratch-off tickets like these prey on vulnerable people — including people who gamble out of desperation or suffer from gambling disorders. State-run lotteries like Arkansas’ have not delivered on their promises of improving education, and they do not provide harmless entertainment. It’s predatory gambling with serious consequences.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Legalization of Online Sports Betting Linked to Increase in Depression, Anxiety: Study

Gambling,

A recent study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University found the legalization of sports betting was tied to increases in anti-anxiety drug use and in doctor visits related to depression or anxiety. The study’s authors write that the findings “suggest that state legalization of online sports betting was associated with measurable increases in mental health care use and may increase strain on the behavioral health system.”

Sports betting has been legalized throughout much of the U.S. and Canada — including Arkansas, where people wager tens of millions of dollars every every month via sportsbooks. But experts continue to sound the alarm over the toll that this type of gambling takes on people.

Some studies have linked legal sports betting to increases in divorce, binge drinking, domestic violence, E.R. visits, and violent crime. Research published this summer found gambling disorder diagnoses have risen more than 60% in states that legalized sports betting.

Sports betting is closely associated with gambling disorders, and gambling disorders have very real consequences.

Sports betting is not a harmless pastime. It’s corrupting sports and ruining lives.

As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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