Study Shows US Sportsbooks Not Following Responsible Gaming Regulations

Michael Savio
By: Michael Savio
Sep 04, 2024
Responsible Gambling
Study Shows US Sportsbooks Not Following Responsible Gaming Regulations

Photo Courtest of Simon Cobb, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Key Takeaways

  • Study found Operators are not always promoting responsible gaming on social media
  • The AGA pointed out that non-sponsored posts don’t need responsible gaming verbiage
  • The four operators studied averaged 237 social media posts per day

The US sports betting industry has been on the defensive after a study from Bristol University found that sportsbooks across the US have failed to live up to regulations around responsible gaming. 

Bristol’s study analyzed 1,353 social media posts from BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, and FanDuel, which were taken from multiple platforms, including Facebook, X, and Instagram. They found that over 1,000 posts failed to include information about responsible gaming or resources for problem gambling, a requirement under US gaming laws.

While the study doesn’t have any direct repercussions for operators, it will surely catch the attention of regulators nationwide.

Sportsbooks Are Using Legal Loopholes

The news comes at a bad time as the industry faces increased pressure to curb problem gambling. Many state regulators have been enforcing stricter rules around advertising, but operators have found a way around those regulations. That has led the American Gaming Association, which supports sports betting operators, to weigh in.

“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,” AGA VP Joe Maloney told The Guardian in an interview. “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.”

University Questions What Qualifies as Advertising

While the AGA correctly cited US law in their response, the University of Bristol fired back. They shared that the four sportsbooks they studied averaged 237 social media posts per day. While many of those are not sponsored, they argue that the volume of posts should qualify them as advertisements. 

Now, the issue will likely be left up to state regulators. They will either decide to make changes to curb this form of social media use or leave the system in place, siding with the AGA’s argument.

What Comes Next?

While the study delivered a scathing review of the industry’s commitment to responsible gaming, it does not carry any consequences for the operators involved. As the AGA said in their statement, what these operators are doing is technically legal. 

The question now is what, if any, fallout will come of the Bristol study. While regulators will decide on an official response, expect some pro sports leagues to weigh in. Each major league has dealt with problem gambling and has worked to prevent it, and the NFL recently renewed a partnership to continue to promote responsible gaming.

Michael is a writer from Denver who covers the sports betting industry for Casino.com. He has been covering the industry for over four years, focusing on providing accurate and easy-to-understand information for readers. When he’s not covering the industry, he’s betting on sports or exploring everything that Colorado has to offer.