A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing new federal legislation aimed at limiting minors’ exposure to sports gambling advertisements online. This is due to growing concerns about youth gambling addiction and the increasing presence of betting content on digital platforms. The proposed Gambling Addiction Mitigation and Education (GAME) Act would give the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce restrictions and impose significant financial penalties on companies that target or expose gambling advertisements to minors.
The legislation was introduced by Sen. Katie Britt and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who said the bill is intended to address the growing visibility of sports betting and prediction market content among minors online.
“The rise in sports gambling among minors, particularly among young boys, is jarring,” Sen. Britt said in a statement. “We know targeted advertising from gambling and prediction market websites can serve as the gateway to dangerous habits that too often become crippling addictions.”
Sen. Blumenthal said sports betting companies are increasingly using digital advertising and algorithm-driven promotion to reach younger audiences on social media and other online platforms.
Blumenthal stated, “The GAME Act would create a nationwide ban on targeted advertising of gambling to kids, backed with the force of punishing fines.”
In their public statement, they cited a study that found individuals who begin gambling before age 18 are 50% more likely to develop a gambling problem later in life. The same research found that one in six parents said they would not know if their child was gambling online.
Additional research cited by the senators found that 45% of adolescent boys who gamble reported seeing gambling-related content online, while 59% said betting-related content appeared in their algorithms without actively searching for it.
Even sports bettors are fed up with the overexposure to advertising. Earlier this year, Sacred Heart University conducted a study that showed how youth felt that live sporting events had become inundated with sports betting ads.
If passed, the GAME Act would place enforcement authority with the Federal Trade Commission beginning one year after the legislation becomes law. The FTC would have the power to pursue civil penalties and seek court-ordered injunctions against companies that violate restrictions related to gambling advertisements targeting minors.
The legislation also includes stronger penalties for repeat violations. Operators and platforms that repeatedly fail to comply could be referred to the Department of Justice. The DOJ would be authorized to pursue fines of up to $100,000 for every gambling advertisement shown to a minor. In large-scale digital advertising campaigns, those penalties could quickly escalate into substantial financial liabilities.
The proposed legislation will now move through the congressional committee process, where lawmakers will debate the scope of the advertising restrictions and potential enforcement mechanisms.
The legislation could also face opposition from sports betting operators, advertising groups, and technology companies that may argue the proposal is too broad or difficult to enforce across online platforms and advertising systems. Questions surrounding free speech protections and the role of social media companies in monitoring gambling-related content could also become central issues during debate.
The GAME Act enters Congress at a time when scrutiny around sports betting advertising continues to increase nationwide, particularly as online betting continues to expand, while concerns grow about the visibility of gambling content among younger audiences.
