A Massachusetts man has sued DraftKings, alleging that company and casino employees let him place bets from his Massachusetts home by phone and text while they placed the wagers at a New Hampshire casino. Samuel Cannarozzi says the arrangement bypassed state restrictions and contributed to about $600,000 in gambling losses over nearly two years.
Cannarozzi filed the complaint in Massachusetts Superior Court on Oct. 15 against DraftKings Inc., RMH NH LLC, which does business as The Brook, and Rach Mesquite Casino Inc. According to AboutLawsuits.com, he alleges violations of state and federal gambling laws and of DraftKings’ own policies, as well as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, emotional-distress claims and violations of Massachusetts gaming laws. He seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
The complaint says Cannarozzi had tried to curb his betting by making himself travel about 90 minutes from his home to The Brook in New Hampshire. DraftKings representatives allegedly offered to remove that obstacle by having employees place wagers for him after he communicated the bets by telephone or text.
Michael Walsh, identified in the complaint as a DraftKings employee, allegedly said he and a worker at The Brook lived in Massachusetts and regularly travelled to the casino. The suit says casino employees later sent photographs of betting tickets, while winnings could either be rolled into future bets or delivered during an in-person meeting.
Cannarozzi says he exchanged about 400 text messages with Walsh and another DraftKings employee from November 2023 through October 2025. Some bets were allegedly placed through other customers’ high-roller accounts to secure promotional benefits, and employees allegedly offered to stay after usual operating hours to take bets on West Coast events. The suit says the employees received tips of $200 to $350 for their help.
The complaint also portrays DraftKings’ VIP programme as a mechanism for encouraging heavy gamblers to continue wagering. A representative identified as Tucker allegedly told Cannarozzi that his recent betting activity “looked strong” when informing him he had been selected for VIP status. Cannarozzi alleges the company offered personalised promotions, preferential treatment and direct access to representatives despite knowing he had a gambling addiction.
Massachusetts regulations prohibit sports-wagering operators, vendors and their employees from advising or encouraging a patron to make a specific wager, subject to an exception for promotional activity. Separately, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission found that operators submitted 51 incident claims involving advertising distributed to minors and people affected by gambling addiction between March 2023 and March 2024.
The case adds to a series of recent legal challenges focused on DraftKings’ promotional and VIP practices. As we reported on Sept. 30, a separate proposed class action in federal court alleged that DraftKings used AI and machine-learning tools to identify customers likely to lose more and direct tailored incentives to them.
