Why FanDuel is making a show about gambling addiction
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- FanDuel is launching a new show about gambling addiction, called "The Comeback with Craig Carton."
- The show will feature guests who will talk about their struggles with sports betting.
- A FanDuel exec said the strategy makes "perfect sense" for the gambling brand.
FanDuel, a major US gambling operator, is launching a new show about the problems with gambling.
The monthly show, called "The Comeback with Craig Carton," features people who have openly battled gambling addiction and includes tools and resources for help. Its first episode speaks with former NBA player Randy Livingston and his wife about his struggles with gambling. The series airs on FanDuel's YouTube channel and streaming network, FanDuel TV Extra.
Legal sports betting has faced media criticism and regulatory pushback in the US amid high-profile gambling scandals. Some lawmakers are pushing for legislation such as the SAFE Bet Act, which targets sports betting-related "public health issues" with new regulations around practices like advertising.
The new series shows FanDuel is trying to own the narrative around gambling addiction and responsible gambling.
Cory Fox, the senior vice president of public policy and sustainability, told Business Insider the show fits perfectly into its "multipronged approach to responsible gambling."
FanDuel, for example, offers a responsible gambling landing page with tools and resources for users who seek help. The company is also trying to create a culture of responsible gaming. FanDuel and other major gambling operators launched last year the Responsible Online Gambling Association, as well.
Carton, the show's host, told BI there is a stigma surrounding gambling addiction that he hopes the show can shed and encourage more people to seek help. He is a recovering gambling addict turned advocate who started working with FanDuel in 2021 to promote responsible gambling.
Carton said he wants to use FanDuel's reach to "help people, warn people, and show people the signs of problem gambling."
Why would a gambling brand have a show about the bad parts of gambling?
It seems ironic that one of the largest gambling platforms in the US is centering a show around the harmful parts of its industry.
Fox said the reality is that some of FanDuel's customers may experience gambling addiction, so the company wants them to see what it looks like.
"I think actually doing it on a gambling network makes a lot of sense," he said.
Host Carton had a radio show about responsible gambling before partnering with FanDuel.
"The purpose of this show is to let people see the depth that irresponsible, compulsive gamblers go to so that they can continue to wager the things that they risk," said Carton. "And then on the flip side, a lot of the people that we're going to talk to have also successfully navigated recovery."