Major US sports and media duo establish responsible advertising coalition
NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS and NASCAR step up to ensure “carefully delivered” marketing as furore grows around the sector
The majority of US professional sports leagues, Fox and NBCUniversal have joined forces to create a new responsible gambling advertising body.
The Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising was established today, 19 April.
The body is made up of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the men’s and women’s leagues of the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, NASCAR, Major League Soccer and the media duo.
The body aims to voluntarily regulate its own gambling advertising amid the growing backlash against the proliferation of sports betting marketing in the US.
The coalition said it would aim to control how sports betting is advertised and that “excessive” advertising should be avoided.
In a joint statement, the coalition laid out its reasons for founding the body and the need to protect consumers moving forward.
The statement read: “As the legalisation of sports betting spreads nationwide, we feel it is critical to establish guardrails around how sports betting should be advertised to consumers across the United States.
“Each member of the coalition feels a responsibility to ensure sports betting advertising is not only targeted to an appropriate audience, but also that the message is thoughtfully crafted and carefully delivered.”
Elsewhere, key figures from the world of US professional sport added their thoughts on the creation of the body.
David Highill, NFL’s general manager of sports betting, said: “Legalised sports betting offers fans another way to engage with their favourite sports, but just as we must support problem gambling prevention and resourcing, we must also remain mindful of how sports betting is presented and advertised to consumers, and this coalition should greatly aid in that cause.”
Kenny Gersh, MLB EVP of media and business development, commented: “While providing new fan engagement opportunities to enjoy our sport in more ways, we have to continue to be mindful and deliberate with how these sports betting options are presented and to whom they’re directed.
“Layering this coalition’s work in the advertising arena on top of our efforts to promote responsible gambling and address problem gambling challenges will lead to more thoughtful planning and implementation across the board,” he added.