Professional sports leagues and the media unite to defeat an emerging competitor.
In an effort to combat off-limits advertising from the US sports betting industry, a coalition has been formed to act as a watchdog, aiming not only to ensure responsible behavior by athletes, but by front office staff as well.
It may be too late for the Detroit Lions, but the newly formed Alliance for Responsible Sportsbetting Advertising could provide a much-needed firewall for athletes and staff.
Major sports leagues have joined forces to create the Alliance for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising. Those leagues include the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and MLS. Here are six Consumer Protection Principles policies. pic.twitter.com/PQnmasn3om
– Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) April 19, 2023
New Bet Alliance to work through 6 primary objectives
Started by the NFL’s Vice President of Public Policy and Governmental Affairs Jonathan Nappavi, the coalition is made up of representatives from the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, and WNBA. Media includes representatives from Fox and NBCUniversal.
The coalition will act on six major sports betting policies, according to the tweet:
- Marketing should target individuals of legal betting age only.
- Ads must avoid promoting irresponsible or excessive betting.
- Ads must be direct and not misleading.
- Ads must be standing.
- Publishers must review industry advertising responsibly.
- Publishers must remain vigilant about consumer complaints about ads.
“Legal sports betting provides fans with another way to engage with their favorite sports, but just as we must support problem gambling prevention and provision of resources, we must remain mindful of how we deliver and advertise sports betting to consumers,” NFL General Manager of Sports Betting David Highhill said via press release. . This alliance should greatly help in this cause.
Maybe the alliance will educate the players better. The Sports Betting Advertising Alliance responsible for its formation was announced on Wednesday. But it wasn’t time to help five NFL players, including four from Detroit and one from Washington. The suspended NFL players violated the league’s betting policy.
Sources: NFL suspended 5 players including # black WR Jameson Williams, for violations of the NFL’s gambling policy. # blackCJ Moore & Quintez Cephus, plus #leadersShaka Tony, suspended indefinitely (at least one year). Williams & DET’s Stanley Berryhill has been suspended for 6 games. pic.twitter.com/Jnmzn8iKzj
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 21, 2023
4 Lions are facing an NFL-imposed suspension for gambling
Lions wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill on Friday each received six-game suspensions. They received fines for making mobile bets on non-NFL teams at one of the team’s buildings. Ex-Lions reserve Quintez Cephus and CJ Moore faced indefinite suspensions for betting on NFL games. The Lions subsequently waived both players and fired several unnamed employees. Captain Shaka Tony has also been suspended indefinitely.
“These players demonstrated making decisions that are not in line with our organizational values and violate league rules,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement.
The suspended lions were the first in the organization to be disciplined for gambling in 60 years. Eventual Hall of Famer Alex Karras received a one-year suspension in 1963 for betting on NFL games.
Since the 2018 ruling, 33 states and the District of Columbia have provided and legalized sports betting opportunities. In 2019, sportsbooks aired $21.4 million in national television advertising. Last year, the amount increased to $314 million, according to iSpot.tv.
the The Responsible Sportsbet Advertising Alliance isn’t the only group working to keep the fledgling industry in check. US Rep. Paul Tonko (DK.Y.) is sponsoring the Betting Our Future Act, which ESPN.com reports is intended to “counter the problematic rise of predatory advertising by sports gambling companies.”