New Jersey Sen. John McKeon is blasting a reported new partnership between Delta Air Lines and DraftKings, saying it will further proliferate gambling.
According to reports, Delta Air Lines announced a new collaboration with DraftKings on Jan. 8 at a 2025 Consumer Electronics Show presentation in Las Vegas. The Atlanta-based airline has not formally announced a partnership with the daily fantasy sports and sports betting company.
“This new partnership between Delta Air Lines and DraftKings is deeply concerning and furthers the proliferation of gambling in everyday life,” McKeon, D-Essex/Passaic, said in a statement. “Online gambling and sports betting have become so normalized and pervasive that anyone can now drain their pockets anytime, anywhere, with just a click of a button. As a result, gambling addiction is surging at an alarming rate. Partnerships like these should worry us all.”
Currently, federal law prohibits gambling on U.S. carriers and any flights that begin or end within the United States.
“While in-flight gambling is currently illegal under federal law, any collaboration between an airline and a gaming company should raise eyebrows,” McKeon added. “Gambling on planes would severely harm the well-being of passengers, and it should continue to remain out of the skies.”