The gaming industry in the United States is under scrutiny following a study by researchers from the University of Bristol in England that found licensed sportsbooks often do not comply with responsible gaming guidelines.
In the US, sports betting grew quickly after May 2018 when the Supreme Court abolished a federal law that restricted single-game wagering to Nevada. Currently, 38 states and Washington, DC, permit legal sports wagering.
The American Gaming Association (AGA), the organization advocating for the commercial and tribal gaming sectors, developed a Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct that its members must follow. The code encompasses responsible advertising, requiring that all “sports betting advertising and marketing” contains a responsible gaming message and/or a toll-free helpline number.
Researchers in Bristol discovered that a significant portion of the material shared by prominent sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel did not feature responsible gaming messages and assistance resources.
AGA Defense
The University of Bristol examined 1,353 social media posts from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and ESPN Bet during the period of July 29 to August 4. The material on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok received more than 29 million views.
Researchers discovered that more than 1,000 posts did not contain a responsible gaming message or resources for problem gambling. This resulted in their determination that the US sports betting sector is not adhering to the AGA's Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct, which they committed to maintaining.
The AGA reacted to the study by noting that social media posts lacking a responsible gaming message or helpline were unsponsored, indicating that such details weren’t mandated by the terms of the code of conduct.
"Like companies across other industries, sports betting operators provide relevant, engaging content to customers designed to maintain brand awareness without promoting a specific offering that is covered by the code, like sports betting,” Joe Maloney, the AGA’s senior vice president, told The Guardian. “To describe the sharing of sports facts, schedules, or discussion topics via tweets and posts on social media platforms as advertising and thus applicable to our code is an irresponsible misinterpretation.”
The Bristol review referenced numerous posts that questioned how the distinction between advertisement and regular content is established.
An instance was shared by FanDuel regarding a tennis match where a bettor won $19K due to the unexpected outcome of the event. The content did not directly reference the FanDuel Sportsbook, nor did it offer messages related to problem gambling support.
University Rebukes Industry
Although all 310 paid posts adhered to the AGA code, which Maloney noted demonstrates its members’ “dedication to maintaining robust industry standards,” Bristol’s scholars remarked that the assessed sports betting material was predominantly pro-betting and appeared to urge the public to engage.
"It feels like they are doing anything just to get people signing on,” said Raffaello Rossi, marketing lecturer at the University of Bristol. “This relentless exposure can make gambling seem like a normal activity, increasing participation and risk among young and vulnerable groups.”
Rossi noted that the four sportsbooks analyzed averaged 237 social media updates each day. He stated that social media posts from sportsbooks “are evidently viewed as advertising now.”
Rossi argued that Congress ought to require that all gambling-related content feature responsible gaming messages and/or assistance for problem gambling.
