DraftKings faces lawsuit over inaccessibility by blind punter

• DraftKings faces a class-action lawsuit by a visually impaired individual who accuses the platform of a lack of accessibility features
• The lawsuit is important as it appears to be one of the first to attack the company for something other than problem gambling and cancelled bets
• DraftKings has not commented on the lawsuit and is unlikely to do so publicly

America’s leading sportsbook and gaming platform, DraftKings, is facing a fresh lawsuit filed by a blind gambler who has accused the company in his complaint that he was unable to access the website.

This fault, the plaintiff argues, is in DraftKings as the company has not factored in accessibility requirements for blind punters.

Lawsuit says DraftKings failed to meet standards for accessibility

Filed by Anthony Benson in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York last week, this is a class-action lawsuit against the company, and cites the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which mandate that online platforms must not deny their content and services to visually impaired individuals

"Plaintiff sought to engage with these offerings but was unable to do so due to persistent access barriers that render the website incompatible with standard screen-reading software.

As a blind individual, Plaintiff was denied full and equal access to the platform and remains deterred from returning, despite his intent to participate in upcoming NFL fantasy contests and wagering promotions," the complaint said.

Specifically, Beson’s complaint stipulates that the business is required under federal law to make its offer accessible for the disabled and alleges that this condition has not been met.

Lawsuit with unclear outcome, but an important one all the same

The complaint purely focuses on this accessibility issue, which he believes gives him the legal grounds to sue. Beson tried to participate in the fantasy section in July and August but found the platform to not offer sufficient accessibility features.

While it is not clear whether Benson can win the lawsuit, DraftKings and other sportsbooks will be paying attention and most likely look closer at whether such complaints have merit and whether their websites are accessible to this specific group in the first place.

Previously, DraftKings faced lawsuits tied to its promotions and responsible gaming practices. The company has also been challenged in matters such as voiding wagers. DraftKings has not commented on the lawsuit.

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