DraftKings, a sports betting company, said Wednesday it filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to create a corporate political action committee (PAC).
DraftKings’s PAC will fall under the separate segregated funds (SSF) category, which means the committee can solicit contributions only from individuals associated with a connected or sponsoring organization, according to the FEC.
“We have established this PAC to support state and federal candidates and organizations who have shown an interest in issues affecting our business,” a company spokesperson told The Hill.
DraftKings fell under scrutiny in recent years due to their alleged attempt to “obstruct or impair competition” in the sports betting industry, which is a violation of federal antitrust laws.
Bipartisan lawmakers urged the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department to investigate their dealings after a failed 2016 merger with FanDuel.
While the company did not directly respond to requests for comment about alleged wrongdoing, a spokesperson did share that they hope to use their newly founded PAC to improve the online gambling experience for consumers.
“DraftKings’ ultimate goal is to build the best, most trusted, and most customer-centric destination for our players. The recent tax increase in Illinois makes it harder to provide the best service to our players while it simultaneously incentivizes more players to wager in the unregulated, illegal market,” a spokesperson told The Hill.
“Among other things, we are monitoring a range of regulatory, tax, and licensing policies around the country, including the recent tax increase in Illinois. In addition, DraftKings may prioritize issues that impact business operations, including the expansion of the legal, regulated online betting market,” they added.
