Concerns raised over gambling ads appearing every 13 seconds in US sports
A study by the University of Bristol recorded 6,282 gambling advertisements across 13 NBA and NHL finals games this June, according to a report by The Guardian.
The research revealed a significant disparity in marketing volume between the two leagues, with hockey games featuring nearly six times the number of gambling messages.
NHL broadcasts featured an average of 3.5 gambling messages per minute. One game peaked at 4.7 messages per minute, or nearly one every 13 seconds. Additionally, the study found integrations like rinkside ads and jersey sponsorships provided near-constant brand exposure.
In contrast, the NBA games featured far fewer promotions, averaging 0.26 messages per minute. Researchers suggested the NBA’s partnership with YouTube, which has stricter advertising policies, may be a factor.
Only 3.9% of all recorded messages included harm-reduction content, and just 3.7% featured age-warning disclaimers. The report recommended the introduction of federal legislation to regulate gambling marketing in sports broadcasts.
The study’s authors called for new rules to restrict ad placement and volume, and to mandate safer gambling messaging as the current US framework remains largely self-regulatory.
Democratic Congressman Paul Tonko agreed with the report’s recommendations, stating, “The constant barrage of marketing is especially dangerous for young and vulnerable groups and opens the doors for a new generation of potential gamblers to engage with this known, addictive product.”
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