NEW ORLEANS — A class action lawsuit was filed in Louisiana on Thursday afternoon against sporting betting giants FanDuel and DraftKings as well as against two local casinos, alleging that the game betting apps are intentionally designed to induce and exploit addictive behaviors.

The 27-page lawsuit filed in the Civil District Court of Orleans Parish lays out allegations of a predatory data-tracking system designed to target vulnerable or compulsive gamblers.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit say the gaming apps are products under the Louisiana Products Liability Act and point to design features such as slot-machine-style micro-wagering, bonus bets timed to periods of financial distress and limit-override screens with no cooling-off period.

The suit also names the two local casinos—Amelia Belle Casino and Bally’s Baton Rouge—whose state licenses anchor the apps’ operation in Louisiana.

Jennifer Hoekstra, counsel for the plaintiffs in Payton et al. v. DK Crown Holdings Inc. d/b/a DraftKings Inc. et al., said in a prepared statement that the apps put a casino in every person’s pocket with 24/7 access and this lawsuit alleges that the companies behind them use data to find the most vulnerable people to target to continue gambling. One internet gaming company, owned by FanDuel’s parent company, is documented to collect at least 186 attributes for each bettor on their platform, including propensity to gamble and susceptibility to marketing.

“Louisiana law protects consumers from dangerously designed products, and we are asking a Louisiana court to apply it here,” Hoekstra said.

Hoekstra is familiar with these types of proceedings—the attorney filed more than a dozen similar lawsuits in other states this past spring. 

Mobile betting has taken over the Louisiana waging market, she writes in the Louisiana lawsuit, with more than 90% of all legal wagers in the state placed via phones rather than at physical casino sportsbooks.

Louisiana closed 2025 with an annual retail and mobile sports betting handle exceeding $4.24 billion, the lawsuit states.

The three named plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit are all Orleans Parish residents who have been adversely affected by their gambling.

One plaintiff, 43-year-old Adrian Payton, alleges that FanDuel gave him bonuses and deposit matches to entice him to bet, but that the odds on his live bets often changed after he submitted his wagers. He has used his debit and credit cards to cover his bets—a total $88,716.27 as of filing.

Another plaintiff, 29-year-old Toi Smith, says she began using DraftKings and FanDuel at 21 years old after seeing ads on Instagram and Twitter, now known as X. She alleges she spends at least four hours a day on the betting apps and has wagered more than $23,500 on various bets.

The third plaintiff, Yolanda Perkins, is described as a heavy parlay bettor with approximately $32,000 bet on FanDuel and another $37,000 on DraftKings. She reportedly has a second cell phone that is dedicated to only emails and the betting apps.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs request full compensatory damages including for actual financial losses, severe mental anguish and emotional distress, medical treatment expenses, loss of consortium. Redhibition damages requested include a full refund of all net capital deposited into FanDuel and DraftKings platforms, a return of all built-in commissions and transaction fees, reimbursements of financial losses directly triggered by the predatory design of the apps, damages for mental anguish and an award for attorney’s fees and litigation costs.

The plaintiffs are requesting a jury trial on the claims.