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Formation of Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising Announced

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Members of the Coalition to include the NFL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, WNBA, NHL, NBCUniversal, and FOX

Coalition Publishes Six Core Principles of Responsible Sports Betting Advertising

The formation of the Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising, a voluntary association of sports leagues and media entities committed to doing their part to help ensure a responsible approach to sports betting advertising, was announced today.

Consisting of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, NBCUniversal, and FOX, the coalition has committed to implement and maintain consumer protection policies consistent with the following six principles:

  • Sports Betting Should be Marketed Only to Adults of Legal Betting Age
  • Sports Betting Advertising Should Not Promote Irresponsible or Excessive Gambling or Degrade the Consumer Experience
  • Sports Betting Advertisements Should Not Be Misleading
  • Sports Betting Advertisements Should Be In Good Taste
  • Publishers Should Have Appropriate Internal Reviews of Sports Betting Advertising
  • Publishers Should Review Consumer Complaints Pertaining to Sports Betting Advertising

“As the legalization 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.”

Joint statement from the Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising

Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising Principles:

1. Sports Betting Should be Marketed Only to Adults of Legal Betting Age.

The content of sports betting advertising, marketing and promotion should primarily appeal to individuals of legal betting age, and sports betting should never be endorsed or otherwise promoted by any person who is, or appears to be, below such legal age.

Sports betting promotional materials should (i) only appear in media where a significant majority of the audience is reasonably expected to be of legal betting age and (ii) never primarily appeal to children in content or theme.

2. Sports Betting Advertising Should Not Promote Irresponsible or Excessive Gambling or Degrade the Consumer Experience.

Sports betting advertisements should always contain a clear, prominent responsible gaming message, including information on responsible gambling resources, and never be directed to individuals known by the advertiser to be self-excluded. Gambling advertising, promotion and other integrations that encourage irresponsible gambling or degrade the consumer experience (e.g., by appearing excessively) should also be avoided.

3. Sports Betting Advertisements Should Not Be Misleading.

Sports betting advertisements should never be false, deceptive or misleading. For example, sports betting advertisements and marketing should not promote unrealistic expectations of financial gain, or suggest that social, financial or personal success is guaranteed by engaging in sports betting. Nor should any such messaging state or imply that a bet is without risk if the customer must incur any loss, or risk the customer’s own money, to use or withdraw winnings from such bet.

4. Sports Betting Advertisements Should Be In Good Taste.

Sports betting advertisements should (i) adhere to contemporary standards of good taste applicable to all commercial messaging, taking into consideration the applicable medium and advertising context and (ii) never undermine public perception of sports or their integrity.

5. Publishers Should Have Appropriate Internal Reviews of Sports Betting Advertising.

Publishers showing sports betting advertising should (i) provide appropriate training to their relevant employees regarding responsible sports betting advertising policies and (ii) implement internal processes to ensure compliance with such policies. To the extent possible, such processes should include a separate review of advertising and marketing materials by company employees outside the marketing and sponsorship departments.

6. Publishers Should Review Consumer Complaints Pertaining to Sports Betting Advertising.

Publishers showing sports betting advertising should develop and implement a process to review consumer complaints pertaining to that advertising.

Coalition of Responsible Sports Betting Advertising Quotes

National Football League

David Highhill, General Manager, Sports Betting

“We’re proud to join these prominent sports industry stakeholders in this important effort.  Legalized sports betting offers fans another way to engage with their favorite 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.”

Major League Baseball

Kenny Gersh, Executive Vice President, Media & Business Development

“Forming this coalition with fellow leaders in sports and entertainment is another important step for our industry as legal sports betting continues to grow. 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.”

Major League Soccer

Chris Schlosser, Senior Vice President, Emerging Ventures

“As betting on soccer continues to have a strong presence around the world, it becomes increasingly imperative to educate the fans about responsible gambling. A big part of this is how sports betting is marketed and promoted. That’s why we are committed to joining this important coalition of leaders in the sports industry. This is an opportunity to work together to implement guardrails and ensure that sports betting advertising is done appropriately and thoughtfully.”

NASCAR

Joe Solosky, NASCAR Managing Director of Sports Betting

“As the number of fans engaging with our sport continues to grow through the legalization of sports betting and gaming, it is critical that we play a meaningful role as a coalition member to ensure the availability to bet on sports is presented to fans in an appropriate and responsible manner. Moving forward in this space, responsible sports betting advertising will join responsible betting education as the two pillars that make up the foundation of our gaming strategy.”

National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association

Scott Kaufman-Ross, Head of Gaming and New Business Ventures, NBA and WNBA

“The NBA and the WNBA are proud to join this coalition of industry leaders dedicated to prioritizing and standardizing responsible sports betting advertising.  These fundamental efforts will contribute to creating a safe, entertaining and sustainable market for sports fans to engage with legalized sports betting.”

National Hockey League

Keith Wachtel, NHL Chief Business Officer

“As more sports fans have the opportunity to legally and responsibly bet in their home states, the fan experience continues to be one of our utmost priorities. We are proud to be part of this coalition of leagues and media entities to publicly state our ongoing commitment – with our partners – to promoting responsible advertising for sports betting.”

FOX

Mike Mulvihill, Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics, FOX Sports

“FOX and FOX Sports are proud to be charter members of this broad and important coalition.  As America’s leader in live sports, we are committed to providing fans a responsible and ethical engagement with sports betting, keeping the integrity of the games and our broadcasts at the forefront at all times.”

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AGCO Fines Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto $350,000 for Serious Regulatory Violations Linked to Impromptu After-Party on Gaming Floor

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued monetary penalties totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for multiple violations of provincial gaming standards. The penalties follow an impromptu after-party that was permitted to take place in the pre-dawn hours directly on the casino’s gaming floor.

On September 27, 2024, an electronic dance music event attended by thousands of people was hosted in the theatre adjacent to the casino at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. The event was marked by widespread intoxication, disorderly behavior, and numerous criminal and medical incidents – both inside and outside the venue – including alleged assaults, drug overdoses, and acts of public indecency. Although paid duty officers were present, additional police and emergency services were required to manage the situation.

In the midst of this high-risk environment, casino management approved an unscheduled request by the performing artist to host an after-party on the active gaming floor. The artist and more than 400 guests were permitted onto the gaming floor where the artist was allowed to perform amidst operational table games and gaming machines – without any prior risk assessment or planning.

As a result, security personnel were unable to effectively control the casino floor, including witness reports that an attendee was seen climbing onto slot machines. Failure to maintain appropriate control compromises the security, safety, and integrity of the casino floor. Following the conclusion of the event, the operator failed to promptly report these incidents to the AGCO as required.

Based on the findings of its review, the AGCO’s Registrar has issued an Order of Monetary Penalty (OMP) totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. These penalties address critical failures in their operations, incident reporting, employee training, and the management of disturbances.

A gaming operator served with an OMP has 15 days to appeal the Registrar’s decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“Casino operators have a fundamental duty to control their gaming environment. Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s lapses in this incident compromised the safety of patrons and the security and integrity of the gaming floor,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of AGCO, said.

The post AGCO Fines Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto $350,000 for Serious Regulatory Violations Linked to Impromptu After-Party on Gaming Floor appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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IGT and Atlantic Lottery Sign Eight-Year Video Lottery Central System Technology Agreement

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International Game Technology PLC announced that its subsidiary, IGT Canada Solutions ULC (hereinafter “IGT”), signed an eight-year agreement with Atlantic Lottery to supply its IntelligenEVO video lottery central system technology across Atlantic Canada. The agreement includes the option for multiple extensions and positions the Atlantic Lottery to become the first World Lottery Association (WLA)-affiliated lottery operator to deploy IGT’s next-generation central management system in a game-to-system (G2S) distributed market.

“By leveraging IGT’s IntelligenEVO technology, Atlantic Lottery will power its video lottery network with the industry’s best-in-class central system and position itself to maximize future contributions to good causes. As an organization that prioritizes system security and exceptional player experiences, Atlantic Lottery believes that IGT’s IntelliegnEVO solution will help generate high player satisfaction and optimal network performance,” said Michael MacKinnon, Atlantic Lottery VP, Product.

“As a long-time supplier to Atlantic Lottery, IGT looks forward to helping the Lottery achieve its growth and player engagement goals with our leading-edge IntelligenEVO video lottery central system. IGT’s IntelligenEVO is a scalable technology for the WLA market that is backed by decades of experience and operator feedback, and maximizes the benefits of real-time data, cloud-based technologies and in-depth analytics,” said David Flinn, IGT SVP Canada, EMEA and LATAM, Gaming Sales.

With peak system security, network availability and responsible gaming functionalities, IntelligenEVO is a reliable, scalable solution that can meet the needs of today and in the future. The solution will accelerate time-to-market and enables the Atlantic Lottery to benefit from the system’s suite of player-focused functionality. The technology’s G2S and open API design optimizes data collection and delivery and will enable Atlantic Lottery to customize their program for evolving player needs.

The post IGT and Atlantic Lottery Sign Eight-Year Video Lottery Central System Technology Agreement appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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BetRivers

NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform

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NetGaming, a fast-growing online casino content supplier, is proud to announce its launch in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive, Inc., a leading online casino and sports betting company in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for NetGaming as it continues to expand its footprint across regulated North American markets.

As part of the launch, Ontario players on BetRivers can now enjoy a diverse portfolio of NetGaming titles, known for their high-quality graphics, immersive gameplay, and unique themes. Standout games such as Zeus’s Thunderbolt, Bison Gold, and Fireball Inferno are among the first to go live, with additional titles set to follow soon.

This partnership is just the beginning. NetGaming plans to extend its collaboration with Rush Street Interactive into Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mexico over the coming months.

Pallavi Deshmukh, CEO of NetGaming, commented: “We are thrilled to go live with Rush Street Interactive, a powerhouse operator with a strong presence and loyal player base. This launch marks a significant milestone in our
North American expansion strategy and underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences tailored to local player preferences across the region.”

Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, commented: “We are pleased to partner with NetGaming to bring innovative, premium games to our players in Ontario. This collaboration aligns with our strategy to offer world-class
entertainment through engaging, action-packed online casino games. We look forward to expanding this partnership into additional regulated markets in the months ahead.”

This strategic partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to providing high- quality, innovative, and responsible entertainment to players in regulated markets.

The post NetGaming Goes Live in Ontario with Rush Street Interactive via BetRivers Platform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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