Bill Proposed to Ban Sports Betting Ads in the US
A bill called The Betting on Our Future Act has been introduced to the House of Representatives in the US. The bill proposes that all sports-betting products be banned from advertising using specific mediums, including TV and the internet.
Rapid Rise of Gambling in the USA
The Betting on Our Future Act was introduced to the house by Paul Tonko, a member of the House of Representatives for New York. The aim of the bill is to ban the advertising of sportsbook products on all forms of electronics ‘subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission’. This broad term would see sports betting adverts prohibited from TV, radio, and the internet.
It is currently unknown how much support the bill has within the house. However, its very existence highlights how quickly the gambling industry has worked its way into American politics, and it could well be the first of many such proposals. The United States now has several states where online casinos and sports betting are legal.
A similar ban on tobacco products in America in 1965 has been a huge success in cutting down smokers within the country.
Out of Control
Paul Tonko believes that spending on gambling advertising in the country is out of control. He urged congress to consider the bill, stating that the sports betting industry is one that can cause a lot of damage to people’s lives.
As part of his appeal, Tonko highlighted the nearly $500 million that was spent by DraftKings, one of the country’s leading operators, in 2020. While numbers are not consistently this high, some operators still continue to exceed them, with rival FanDuel spending over $1 billion on marketing in 2022.
It wasn’t just the amount of money spent that was highlighted. Tonka also believes that many of the operators use promotional tactics that prey on players. According to Pew Research, 1 in 5 Americans has placed a sports bet in the last 12 months.
Opposition to the Bill
While there was no major opposition within the house to the bill, there has been some backlash from the gambling industry. The Senior Vice President of the American Gaming Association, Chris Cylke, has not held back in his response to the proposal. They said that the AGA will stand in strong opposition against any bills that aim to restrict betting advertising for either online casinos or sports betting.
Cylke said that the industry takes a lot of responsibility when it comes to advertising, adding that there has never been more time or resources dedicated to it than there is now. They also talked about the Responsible Marketing Codes for Sports Wagering that are being introduced.
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