Sports Gambling Propaganda
By: Alex Montville
Reflective Essay:
I chose to do this project on sports gambling advertising for several different reasons. The central idea why I did this is because I turned 21 amidst this gambling boom. Before sports gambling was legalized people would always joke “Wish I put money on that” but we always understood that would be possible. Now not only is it possible to pick a winner, but there are endless other options to choose from. My first experience with sports gambling was when my dad took me to the Mohegan Fanduel sportsbook for my 21st birthday. It was a blast getting to sit with my dad all day and pick college football games. That’s the kind of experience I hear from people I talk to. Their first encounter was almost magical.
Having been involved with sports media and watching the evolution of sports gambling, it has not gone in the right direction. Every time I am watching a game of any sport and on any channel, there are at least two to three gambling ads shown. At first, I didn’t think anything of it because it was still new. Now I think about how many times we see these ads and how much they resemble old cigarette or beer ads. What I wanted to accomplish in this project was learning why sports gambling ads have become such a problem.
Throughout this project I found the answer to my question. While there is perfect regulation on the money and taxes there is little to no regulation on the advertising. The rules for advertising have been left up to the individual states to decide on. The only constant rule seems to be having the age requirement and providing the gambling addiction hotline number. So with this knowledge I crafted a presentation that would highlight the problems with no regulation on the advertising.
In my presentation I provide slides showcasing advertisements from Fanduel and Draftkings. I explain how the promotion of “risk-free” bets are something that a few states have disallowed because of their misleading nature. I also dive into the use of celebrity spokespeople that make the audience feel better about what they are doing. These ads on their own would not be so powerful if it weren’t for the many sponsorships that these gambling companies have. This part of my process was particularly interesting to learn about. I realized that all those ads that I had been seeing came from the deals that major sports like the NFL have made with these gambling companies. While the NFL is making lots of money off this deal there are subjecting viewers that are too young to play to the concept of gambling. They are also showing these ads to recovering gambling addicts who just want to watch a game.
All this information really depicted a different side of sports gambling for me. While the ads promote a glamorous and fun way to make money watching sports. The truth behind it all is these sportsbooks don’t care. They don’t care about who sees these ads and who ends up using their apps. They want as many people as they can to jump off the cliff and try it once. Many people suffer from addictive personalities in today’s world. If we wouldn’t show commercials promoting cigarettes because they cause harmful addiction, why should we not regulate sports gambling ads as well.
Script:
Sports gambling has been a long battle that started in Las Vegas, Nevada and made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Only since March of 2018 has sports gambling been legalized in various states shown in the map, however regulations are still up in the air. While the operational side where the money comes in and out is airtight, there is a large issue on the advertising side of this coin. There are a lot of problems with sports gambling and its advertising and through this presentation I will break down just how bad the situation is. Let’s look at some examples of these advertisements from Fanduel, Draftkings, and the Rhode Island Sportsbook.
Sports betting advertising has been unregulated at a federal level since it was left up to the states to decide. It seems at a bare minimum that each state requires each ad to states the legal age requirement and provide the gambling addiction hotline number. Besides that, just about anything goes for what can be in the advertisement. In front of us we have three of the ads where Fanduel promotes a “risk-free” bet or a credit. This is a tactic that some states have disallowed as it can be misleading to draw people in. As we look at Draftkings we see the message is like Fanduel, however Draftkings use a celebrity spokesperson like Kevin Hart to make people feel like its morally okay to sports gamble. Lastly, while the Rhoe Island sportsbook ad may be basic it plays on the worst aspect: marketing towards younger demographics. Rhode Island is a special case as the betting age is only 18, however this doesn’t stop these companies. They use the idea that winning is glamorous and you’ll make lots of money all the time watching sports. For plenty of kids this is a dream. Harsh reality is you lose, all the time.
Targeting young kids is by far the largest problem with sports gambling advertising. While it is only meant for adults, ads are shown during any sports games at any time. Different from violent video game ads that will only air during games played at night where an older audience is more present. This is all spawned from partnerships like the one that the NFL holds with Fanduel as an official sponsor. There are also cases of ads in the arenas themselves like the Drafkings logo at Fenway Park. This can as deep as commentators mentioning point spreads and game totals during their broadcast, mostly famously Al Micheals.
In conclusion, I believe that sports betting is a good thing. In moderation it’s a great way for sports enthusiasts to enjoy the games they love. Unfortunately, no regulation on the advertising side promotes the idea that sportsbooks do not care about who uses their apps. They don’t care about the consequences of repeatedly showing their ads during games. More rules should be added regarding what content can be in the ads. The age requirement and hotline number should be more prominent. This all to make sports betting safer for all.
Works Cited:
Hernandez, J. (2022, June 18). Sports betting ads are everywhere. some worry gamblers will pay a steep price. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/18/1104952410/sports-betting-ads-sports-gambling
WP Company. (2022, September 12). Sports betting timeline: From Las Vegas to the Supreme Court. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/29/history-of-sports-gambling/
