A Michigan man is suing DraftKings, claiming a sports bet of his went bad.
As first reported by The Detroit News, lawyers for Ryan Cristman of Walled Lake filed a suit Wednesday against the betting operator, alleging it should have paid him more than $5,000 after he took advantage of a glitch to place a value bet.
The lawsuit is expected to become a class-action suit, a lawyer for Cristman told the News, and seeks more than $5 million in damages.
PlayMichigan reached out to a DraftKings spokesperson, who has not yet responded. This lawsuit is the first known litigation from a bettor against a Michigan online sports betting operator.
Lawsuit: Walled Lake man had Bruins +3 in February game
The suit claims Cristman made a Feb. 10 bet on DraftKings Sportsbook on the Boston Bruins, getting three goals in a puck line against the New York Rangers.
Cristman wagered $915.89 at +510 odds to pay out $5,586.93, the suit says, which would be a net win of $4,671.04.
The lawsuit (posted below) contains a screenshot of the alleged bet and also correspondence with a customer service representative, who wishes Cristman luck before the start of the game.
However, during the game, Cristman claims the bet was switched in his account to Bruins -3. The bet was for a regulation result, which was 2-2. The Bruins eventually won the game 3-2.
Cristman claims his bet was scored as a loss.
He reached out to customer service again during the game, the suit says, and was notified afterward that it would stand as a loss.
A screenshot of a response from DraftKings says the original bet was credited, along with a $50 bonus bet.
Later, the account was locked for multiple days, the suit alleges, and DraftKings credited Cristman with two more bonus $50 bets.
DraftKingsLawsuitMichiganMay2021Lawyer: More DraftKings complaints are coming forward
Lawyer Ari Scharg told the News his Edelson PC firm is looking into the industry overall. He hopes to present the DraftKings case to a jury and says more DraftKings users have come forward with similar stories.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board does not comment about ongoing litigation but does have a Patron Dispute Form available on its website.
The bet in question came 19 days after online sports betting launched in Michigan.
Through April, DraftKings has accepted $239.2 million in Michigan online sports bets, the third-most of any operator.
