ESPN has begun a new campaign focused on promoting responsible gaming practices around sports betting.
“The Talk” intends to educate ESPN Bet users and ESPN’s wider audience about how to gamble on sports smartly and protect themselves from the risks of problem betting.
The campaign features two creative spots, each featuring a SportsCenter anchor. A spot led by Elle Duncan will debut on Jan. 21 across ESPN platforms during the TGL golf league broadcast, while another featuring Gary Striewski is set to air later in 2025.
ESPN said in a release that “The Talk” uses humor and is inspired by heart-to-heart conversations within families. It will include the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline and direct viewers to a dedicated landing page, ESPN.com/smartplay, that offers additional tools and resources to help fans understand what smart betting looks like and to help them have meaningful conversations about responsible betting.
“At ESPN, we believe it’s our responsibility to help sports fans understand the risks of sports betting and learn what smart betting looks like,” said Vice President of ESPN Corporate Citizenship Kevin Martinez.
“This campaign encourages fans to reflect on their betting habits and discuss smart practices with family and friends. We want to normalize these conversations and ensure fans understand why responsible betting matters.”
ESPN recognizes crossover between sports and betting
The new campaign is an overarching ESPN initiative and is not specific to the ESPN Bet venture with PENN Entertainment.
ESPN has forged intrinsic ties between its traditional sports media platform and its sportsbook, notably introducing a feature that allows its users to directly link their ESPN and ESPN Bet accounts. That integration gives customers the opportunity to receive customized offers based on their favorite teams and sports.
That’s also spilled over into their broadcasting. Former Philadelphia Eagles center and Super Bowl winner Jason Kelce, who is part of ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Countdown’ crew, made headlines earlier this month ahead of the NFC Wild Card game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings when he commented that he was suggesting a certain prop for Matthew Stafford touchdowns “because they told me to.”
Observers cited that incident as an example of the difficulties of walking the borderline between being a sports broadcast network and a sportsbook.
In announcing “The Talk,” Martinez noted that, while responsible gambling has been at the forefront of ESPN Bet, ESPN’s commitment to responsible gaming extends even further.
“Because we feature content and advertising on betting, we believe we have a responsibility to help sports fans understand how to bet responsibly,” he added. “We’re proud to work with industry leaders to find new and different ways to reach these audiences. ‘The Talk’ blends education, humor and actionable resources to capture attention and emphasize the importance of responsible gaming.
ESPN building on UNLV collaboration
ESPN says “The Talk” builds on its existing work with UNLV’s International Gaming Institute which aims to advance responsible betting practices through education and research. That collaboration already includes four competitive research fellowships for UNLV students and faculty studying responsible gambling in sports media.
Brett Abarbanel, Ph.D., the executive director of UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, said ESPN is taking an approach that is supported by behavioral science research.
“Rather than just focusing on the negative, these spots accentuate the positive by encouraging healthy habits: being a better bettor is not just about knowing when to take risks, it’s also about knowing when not to,” Abarbanel added.
