Latest news with #TheComebackWith
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
FanDuel, Craig Carton Team For New Series On Gambling Addiction
Craig Carton hit rock bottom in 2019. The high-profile New York sports radio host was convicted in federal court of securities and wire fraud tied to a ticket-selling Ponzi-style scheme, resulting in a 42-month prison sentence and $4.8 million owed in restitution. A driving factor behind his crimes: a gambling addiction. Craig Carton (Photo by) Getty Images Released from prison in June 2020, Carton returned to the airwaves and, in 2021, joined forces with FanDuel as the betting company's first responsible gambling ambassador. He has since used his platform to share his experiences and warn others about the dangers of compulsive gambling. Carton and FanDuel are now bringing those conversations to video in 'The Comeback With Craig Carton,' airing on FanDuel Extra, a free ad-supported streaming channel, and on the company's YouTube channel. In each monthly episode, Carton sits down with people who have experienced the highs and lows of gambling addiction, aiming to break the stigma around gambling disorder and highlight paths to recovery. 'We're the only addicts who are called degenerates,' Carton said. 'No one talks about a drug addict or alcoholic as a degenerate, but if you have a gambling problem, suddenly you're a degenerate gambler. 'I'm trying to change that stigma by sharing these lived experiences so others can recognize their behavior in the stories of people who've walked a mile in their shoes.' FanDuel is one of the biggest players in sports gambling, reporting 2024 revenue of $5.79 billion. Some may see its hosting of a problem gambling show as ironic—like a bartender leading an AA meeting—given its business model depends on betting, potentially to excess. But company officials say their long-term success requires helping customers be in control of their gambling. 'We want them to enjoy and use our products for a long time, which means using them responsibly,' said Cory Fox, FanDuel's senior vice president of public policy and sustainability. 'In the macro sense, we want this industry to be sustainable and to be around for a long time. To do that, we need a social license—we need to be accepted by society and protect the most vulnerable gamblers.' To that end, Flutter, FanDuel's parent company, invested $100 million in 2024 alone in technology, product enhancements, educational campaigns and advocacy to support gambling control, according to Tucker Hart, FanDuel's senior communications manager. That includes self-exclusion and deposit limits, along with "Play Well" tools customers can use to monitor and manage their betting behavior, and 'My Spend,' a, personalized responsible-gaming dashboard. Fox said the new show is another way to help people recognize unhealthy gambling patterns. 'If people can see what problem gambling looks like, they'll be able to compare and contrast that with what's going on in their own life or with family or friends and draw the conclusions they need to,' he said. For Carton, it's a mirror he knows well. At his worst, he was playing $20,000 hands of blackjack and borrowing $30 million to fuel his habit. He says he hasn't placed a bet since 2018—a year before his arrest—but he continues to live with the consequences. 'I wanted to help others by sharing my story with fellow compulsive gamblers, both in recovery and still struggling, so we can drop the stigma,' he said. 'I wanted people who are where I was seven years ago—walls caving in, feeling like life is over, bankruptcy, losing a job, potentially getting divorced—to see my story and my return to success as a beacon of hope.' In the first episode, Carton, dressed casually in a plaid shirt and jeans, sits opposite former NBA player and recovered problem gambler Randy Livingston. Livingston's wife, Anita Ondine Smith, also joins the conversation to describe how addiction impacts the entire family. Carton said the show is for addicts and non-addicts, offering a chance for individuals to admit they have a problem or for family members to recognize unhealthy gambling behavior in loved ones. Fox acknowledges there are skeptics who question FanDuel's commitment to addressing problem gambling when its business depends on the proliferation of betting. But he insists the model only works if the industry helps its customers avoid harm. 'We are embarking on a strategy to make gambling the safest it has ever been,' he said. 'There are more Americans engaging in sports betting than ever before as legalization spreads across the country. People are getting comfortable with it as entertainment. For us to maintain that, it has to be safe—and not exploit those who can't control themselves.'
Fox News
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Extra: Craig Carton's Crusade Against Gambling Addiction
March Madness season may be a good time for problem gambling awareness month. According to the American Gaming Association, more than $3 billion will be bet legally on this year's NCAA basketball tournament games. The FanDuel TV streaming show 'The Comeback With Craig Carton' is trying to create that awareness and help people avoid and overcome gambling addiction. Carton was a high-roller addict, eventually costing him his freedom, his marriage, and his dream job as one of the most popular, highest-paid sports-talk hosts in the country. He's back on the air, co-hosting 'Breakfast Ball' on Fox Sports 1, and hosts a podcast and radio show. Craig Carton joined the FOX News Rundown's Chris Foster to discuss his story, the rapid growth of the legal gambling industry, and how he is now trying to help people who may be struggling with addiction. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with FOX Sports 1's Craig Carton and get even more of his story and advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
