ESPN Employee Did Not Violate Rules in $1 Million DraftKings Win

Written by :

C Costigan

Published on :

31 December, 2025

An ESPN employee who won a million dollars in the DraftKings “best ball” fantasy contest this week did not violate company rules, according to one industry observer.

ESPN’s rules prohibit journalists from gambling on sports they cover.

But Mackenzie Kraemer falls under the category of a "researcher". He has been employed by ESPN since 2011.

Kraemer announced his big win on Monday via X.

"I just won a million dollars playing best ball fantasy football on http://DraftKings.com."

He added on Tuesday: "Thank you @ESPNFantasy for making me smarter and @ShipChasing for being an amazing community to sweat with. As well as @EstablishTheRun @Footballguys and many others."

Some conversation arose of a potential conflict of interest, especially in light of the fact that DraftKings is the official sportsbook of ESPN.

But FrontOfficeSports Ryan Glasspiege insisted Wednesday the company policy clearly exempts employees like Kraemer.

ESPN’s employee gambling guidelines were publicized by Covers in 2023, and primarily prohibit journalists and insiders from wagering on sports they cover. As a researcher, Kraemer would not fall into this category.

An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on the matter when approached by Glasspiege.