Posted on: September 4, 2024, 08:17h. 

Last updated on: September 4, 2024, 08:18h.

The United States gaming industry is on the defense after academics at England’s University of Bristol concluded that licensed sportsbooks regularly fail to adhere to responsible gaming protocols.

Sports betting in the U.S. expanded rapidly after the Supreme Court in May 2018 repealed a federal law that had limited single-game wagering to Nevada. Today, 38 states and Washington, D.C., have legal sports betting.

Bristol researchers found that much of the content shared by leading sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel has failed to include responsible gaming messaging and help resources. 

AGA Defense 

The University of Bristol analyzed 1,353 social media posts by DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and ESPN Bet from July 29 through August 4. The content on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok was seen over 29 million times.

Researchers found that over 1,000 posts did not include a responsible gaming message or problem gambling resource. That led to their conclusion that the U.S. sports betting industry is not complying with the AGA’s Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct that they pledged to uphold.

The AGA responded to the study by pointing out that the social media content that didn’t include a responsible gaming message or helpline were non-sponsored posts, meaning such information wasn’t required under the code of conduct’s terms.

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 cited many posts questioning where the line between advertisement and general content is drawn.

One example came from FanDuel about a tennis match and how a bettor won $19,000 on the upset. The content did not directly link to the FanDuel Sportsbook but also didn’t provide problem gambling support messaging.

University Scolds Industry

While all 310 paid posts complied with the AGA code, something Maloney said shows its members’ “commitment to upholding strong industry standards,” Bristol’s academics said the reviewed sports betting content was overwhelmingly pro-betting and seemed to encourage the public to participate.

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 said the four sportsbooks examined averaged 237 social media posts a day. He opined that social media content from sportsbooks “are clearly seen as advertising now.”

Rossi reasoned that Congress should act to mandate that all gambling content include responsible gaming messaging and/or problem gambling help.