DraftKings Unveils AI-Powered Personalization Engine 'Pulse' Across North American Sportsbook
DraftKings has launched Pulse, a proprietary machine learning engine that tailors odds presentation, bet recommendations, and content surfacing to individual user behavior. The operator says early A/B testing across Michigan and New Jersey showed a 17% lift in session engagement without measurable increases in problem gambling indicators.
DraftKings announced today the full rollout of Pulse, an AI-driven personalization layer built into its sportsbook and iGaming apps across all licensed US states and Ontario. The system uses real-time behavioral signals to reorder bet markets, surface relevant parlays, and adjust the prominence of promotional content based on each user's wagering history, sport preferences, and engagement patterns. The company spent roughly 18 months developing Pulse in partnership with internal data science teams in Boston and a recently acquired AI lab in Tel Aviv.
Chief Product Officer Corey Gottlieb told reporters that Pulse represents the company's largest product investment since the 2021 launch of its in-house betting platform. 'Personalization in sportsbook has historically meant pushing more offers at users. Pulse flips that model — it's about reducing friction and noise so customers find the bets they actually want faster,' Gottlieb said. Internal testing across Michigan and New Jersey reportedly showed a 17% increase in average session length and an 11% rise in bet-per-session metrics, while self-exclusion requests and deposit limit changes remained statistically flat.
The launch comes as US operators face mounting pressure to demonstrate that AI deployments incorporate responsible gambling safeguards. DraftKings said Pulse includes a parallel risk-monitoring layer that flags accelerating betting velocity, chasing behavior, and atypical deposit patterns, automatically dampening promotional surfacing for at-risk users. The system has been reviewed by the company's Responsible Gaming Advisory Board and shared with regulators in New Jersey and Massachusetts ahead of launch.
Analysts at Eilers & Krejcik noted that the move could pressure FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars to accelerate their own personalization roadmaps, particularly as customer acquisition costs in mature US markets continue climbing into the $400-plus range. DraftKings shares rose 2.8% in early trading following the announcement, with management reiterating full-year EBITDA guidance of $920 million to $1 billion.