DraftKings reacts to controversial Roe v. Wade ruling
US sportsbook operator debuts changed employment policy after Supreme Court decision on abortion laws
DraftKings has become one of the first online gambling operators in the US to change its employment policies following the controversial US Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights in the US.
Last week, the nine US Supreme Court justices voted on whether to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, a decision which has protected the abortion rights of women in the US for almost half a century under the US constitution.
However, the court voted 5-4 to overturn this right, a controversial ruling with far-reaching implications for women’s rights in the US as abortions will now not be available in large swathes of the country.
Reacting to this ruling, DraftKings outlined changes to its employment policies, effective immediately, in a post on its LinkedIn page, suggesting the health and wellbeing of its employees and their families was a top priority.
“DraftKings is committed to supporting our employees and families in states which have already or might in the future ban abortion or other critical health and medical services,” said the Boston-headquartered operator.
The headline change to DraftKings’ policy includes an enhanced benefits plan to reimburse travel expenses for US employees and their dependents up to $10,000 for all covered medical and behavioral services which are limited due to availability and state legislation.
This includes abortion, gender affirmation, fertility, behavioral, or any other covered medical service.
In addition to the enhanced benefits coverage, DraftKings has also expanded its employee assistance program to include professional support in this area, as well as utilizing its business resource groups to provide an open forum for employees dealing with the consequences of the decision.
The announcement was welcomed by DraftKings employees on LinkedIn, with several employees hailing it as an “amazing” move.
US sportsbook market leader FanDuel declined to comment on whether it would change its employee benefits plans in the wake of the ruling when approached by EGR.
BetMGM also declined EGR’s invitation to comment. Similarly, Rush Street Interactive and PointsBet have not yet spoken on whether they will make changes at the time of the publication of this article.