Are you tired of seeing or hearing obnoxious sports gambling advertisements everywhere you look? Apparently the country’s biggest pro sports leagues are to, and they’re teaming up to do something about it.
The Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising is a collaborative effort by the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, WNBA, NASCAR and MLS. The goal of the coalition is to regulate the kind of sports betting ads being put on TV, radio and the internet and in newspapers. The coalition is led by Jonathan Nabavi, the NFL’s vice president of public policy and government affairs.
“As the legalization of sports betting spreads nationwide, we feel it is critical to establish guardrails around how sports betting should be advertised to consumers across the United States,” the coalition said in a statement. “Each member of the coalition feels a responsibility to ensure sports betting advertising is not only targeted to an appropriate audience, but also that the message is thoughtfully crafted and carefully delivered.”
Sports betting is legal in 33 states and D.C. Betting revenue was a record $7.5 billion in 2022, up 75% from 2021.
The coalition of leagues and networks hopes that some oversight will help curb the amount of ads and improve the content of the ads that do air and get placed all over creation.
“But just as we must support problem-gambling prevention and resourcing, we must also remain mindful of how sports betting is presented and advertised to consumers, and this coalition should greatly aid in that cause,” said David Highhill, general manager of sports betting for the NFL.
