The Sports Betting Industry Must Work Together To Prevent Ad Bans

One of radio’s biggest ad growth categories, sports betting, may face government restrictions if the industry does not restrain itself.

Bill Miller, President of the American Gaming Association, told attendees at the SBC Summit North America that the current level of sports betting ads on radio and TV is “an unsustainable thing.” He believes if the industry works together, it could prevent situations that have played out across Europe, according to the Associated Press.

In the U.K, sports betting ads are banned from running during the broadcast of games, in what’s called the “whistle-to-whistle” ban. In Italy, sportsbooks are banned from advertising on players’ jerseys or as part of a stadium’s name. The country also restricts broadcast ads for any forms of gambling between 1-5am, AP reports.

At the conference, New York Jets VP of Business Development Jeff Fernandez said the industry has “to make sure we don’t have to go to a whistle-to-whistle ban like what happens in the U.K.”

Joe Asher, President of sports gambling tech company IGT, warned of “a backlash on the advertising going on today, and the excessive amount of it going on,” adding that “it’s not something that lends itself to self-regulation.”

Ken Fuchs, Senior VP of Sports for Caesars Digital countered, saying, “You do have to draw lessons from the U.K.: you have to self-regulate.”

Advertising is needed to attract new customers and to hold onto existing customers, according to PointsBet Chief Marketing Officer Kyle Christensen. “We have taken a focused view by listening to what our bettors want and reaching them where they are,” he said. “We have a philosophy not to spend irrationally but be aggressive and disciplined. It has served us well, made our users happy, and will continue to be our perspective as we look at future advertising budgets.”