ProPublica reporter Jake Pearson spent 10 weeks deliberately betting like a compulsive gambler to test sportsbooks' safeguards, losing more than $12,500 on DraftKings — which rewarded him with VIP perks, bigger deposit buttons, and relentless promotions between sparse responsible-gaming prompts. FanDuel declined to make him a VIP and once refused his $500 wager, while DraftKings says its system worked as designed.