Bill Proposes Ban on Sports Betting Ads During Games, Stops College Betting

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, recent proposals from northeastern legislators could significantly reshape the landscape of sports betting in the United States. Representative Paul Tonko from New York and Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut have introduced a bill that seeks to ban in-game advertising and wagers involving college athletes.

The proposed legislation, revealed on Thursday, aims to address the rising concerns linked to the rapid expansion of legal sports betting since 2018. Currently, sports betting is permitted in 38 states plus the District of Columbia, and the lawmakers argue that this boom has contributed to increased cases of gambling addiction, leading to various societal issues.

“Every moment of every game is a chance to gamble,” Tonko stated, emphasizing the pervasive nature of in-game betting. He elaborated on the grim consequences of gambling disorders that have emerged, claiming that many individuals have succumbed to adversities such as job loss, severed relationships, and devastating financial turmoil due to their gambling habits.

Blumenthal echoed Tonko’s sentiments, framing the legislation as a vital public health measure. He stated, “It is a matter of stopping addiction, saving lives, and ensuring that young people particularly are protected against exploitation.” The intent is clear: the bill seeks to safeguard vulnerable populations from the dangers associated with gambling.

However, this legislation is likely to face robust resistance from the gambling industry. For years, representatives of the industry have advocated for self-regulation in sports betting advertising, arguing that federal intervention would be unnecessary and counterproductive.

The American Gaming Association, representing the national interests of the gambling sector, countered the lawmakers’ claims, stating that sports books operate under stringent government oversight and contribute significantly to state economies through taxes. Moreover, they argue that these operations provide necessary consumer protections that are absent in illicit gambling environments.

“Six years into legal sports betting, introducing heavy-handed federal prohibitions is a slap in the face to state legislatures and gaming regulators,” the association remarked in a statement. They contend that state authorities have invested substantial efforts in establishing well-thought-out regulatory frameworks tailored to their local contexts.

Although the industry has begun to implement some self-regulatory advertising restrictions, critics argue that these measures fall short of addressing the real issues. Harry Levant, who serves as the director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law, draws a parallel between gambling and other addictive substances like drugs and alcohol.

“With every other addictive product or substance, the government regulates the advertising, promotion, distribution, and consumption,” Levant said. “With gambling, sadly, the exact opposite is occurring.” This observation underlines the unique challenges that gambling presents as it becomes intertwined with everyday entertainment.

The National Council on Problem Gambling has expressed apprehension that “gambling problems may increase as sports gambling grows explosively” throughout the country. Their concerns reflect a growing acknowledgment of the need for robust intervention strategies in response to this rising trend.

The proposed legislation seeks to implement additional measures such as limiting operators to accepting no more than five deposits from an individual in a 24-hour timeframe. Additionally, it calls for verification of customers’ ability to afford larger deposits, specifically capping at $1,000 within a day or $10,000 over a month.

The bill would also place restrictions on specific types of bets, banning “prop” bets linked to the performance of college or amateur athletes, like wagers on a quarterback’s passing yards during a game. Moreover, it seeks to prevent the use of artificial intelligence to track gambling habits or to create overly specific gambling scenarios, referred to as “micro-bets,” which could include betting on minute aspects of a game, such as the speed of the next pitch in baseball.

The proposed legislation signifies a crucial step in addressing the unfolding challenges associated with the sports betting industry, focusing on protecting public health while attempting to create a fairer regulatory environment.

Source: AP