Did Ethan Klein Promote Gambling?

DraftKings and PrizePicks Sponsorships

Background

In September 2020, H3 Podcast episodes 214 and 215 were sponsored by DraftKings, a company that provides daily fantasy sports and sports betting services.^[1]^[2]^[3]
In 2025, the podcast accepted sponsorships from PrizePicks on two episodes of the H3 Show.^[4]^[5]

Claim

Ethan Klein is a hypocrite for promoting gambling on his podcast while condemning others for engaging in similar activities.

Truth

Sponsorship Context: During the DraftKings sponsorship reads, Ethan described the company solely as a daily fantasy sports platform, not mentioning sports betting.
Later Clarification: Ethan later stated that he was under the impression DraftKings was exclusively a daily fantasy sports provider(after confirming with their representatives) and was unaware of their sports betting services at the time of the sponsorship.^[7]
Legal Distinction: This claim is plausible given that DraftKings did not (and still does not) offer sports betting in California, where the podcast is based.^[8]
Nuanced Views on Gambling: Ethan's position on gambling is complex and includes specific distinctions:
- He considers poker and sports betting acceptable forms of gambling.^[9]
- He agreed that sports betting should be banned on Twitch due to its young audience.^[10]
- He has called gambling "the deadliest vice" and condemned slot machine streams.^[11]^[12]
- He specifically criticized crypto gambling for its lack of regulation and age verification.^[13]

Conclusion

The H3 Podcast promoted DraftKings and PrizePicks specifically for their daily fantasy sports services, which were legally distinguished from gambling in California at the time. While one can argue that daily fantasy sports constitute a form of gambling, Ethan has maintained nuanced distinctions between different types of betting activities and has been consistently critical of what he views as the most harmful forms of gambling, particularly those targeting young audiences.

Background

Claim

Truth

Conclusion

References