A Nielsen report on the advertising of sports betting commissioned by American Gaming Association has revealed that TV ads for sports betting have declined 33.3% in volume since 2021.
This study examined the advertising trends for sports betting from 2013 through 2023. According to the AGA, TV is by far the most popular medium for advertising sport betting.
The report suggested that the drop in ad volumes could be due to a shift in marketing, as sports betting is legalised in more states.
The AGA stated that “Advertising from legal sportsbooks is important in educating consumers on legitimate betting operators, and guiding them to safer betting options.” As sports betting expanded to new states, many legal operators launched advertising campaigns in order to increase awareness and gain market share. As the markets mature, advertising levels will decrease.
The number of TV ads for sports betting has also fallen by 11% on an annual basis.
Sports betting will account for 0.8% of all TV ads in 2023. In the past year, sports betting accounted for 0.4% of all TV advertising. Alcohol accounted for 0.5% of total TV advertising during the year. Fast food accounted 3.8%, and pharmaceuticals made up 14.1%.
In 2023 there will be eight fast-food ads and 31 pharmaceutical ads on television for every advertisement for sports betting.
Spending on sports betting advertising is $210 million
The amount spent on advertising TV for sports betting has dropped by 23% since 2022.
In 2023 the amount spent on advertising for sports betting fell by $200m (PS167.1m/EUR195.4m), a drop of 15% from 2022. The figure is 21% if daily fantasy sports are excluded. All channels combined, the volume of ads for sports betting was down 20% and 4% from 2021.
This report examined the extent of gambling advertisements in the US. The report showed that the gambling advertising spend in all media channels decreased by 14% from year to year, with a peak in 2022 and a relative decline in 2023.
This was the first time since 2016 that gambling advertising spending had declined without being a pandemic.
The amount spent on TV gambling advertising has fallen by 15 percent in the last year. Radio ad spending was unchanged, while digital ad expenditure fell by 17%.
US considers sports betting regulation
In 38 US states, sports betting is allowed. Recently, some states have considered restrictions on sports betting.
Wayne Fontana, a state senator from Pennsylvania, filed a bill last week that bans the use of credit card for online gambling, including sports betting. Pennsylvania will join Iowa, Massachusetts, and Tennessee as states that prohibit credit card gambling if this bill is passed.
In addition, a ban on college prop betting has been implemented in multiple states. The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced in March that it would ban all college prop betting from US markets. In February, the Ohio Casino Control Commission implemented a college prop betting ban in response to a request by the NCAA.
