Lawmakers Are Slowly Tightening the Noose on Gambling Advertisements

New Jersey lawmakers have been at the forefront of online gambling since 2013 and are also actively pursuing tighter regulation of gambling advertisements. Most recently, they included requirements for displaying gambling risks in gambling advertisements, similar to how the tobacco industry was forced to disclose the dangers and consequences of smoking in tobacco product designs.

In Massachusetts, where most forms of online gambling are allowed besides casino gaming, state officials are weighing new recommendations based on a recent study by SEIGMA (Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts) to deal with the negative impacts of advertising with consideration to young people and problem gambling.

Current state regulations in Massachusetts include limitations on misleading advertising, the frequency of advertisements, and the requirement to display information about the risks of gambling. Despite these ad regulations, the study by SEIGMA found that the advertising environments were oversaturated and recommended further limits, particularly to higher-risk games.

Furthermore, the report underlined the complications of celebrity endorsements and recommended restrictions to reduce the appeal of online gambling with younger people and problem gamblers.

From lawmakers’ perspective, it’s not as straightforward as it seems since complete restrictions on gambling ads could open up more people seeking out illegal alternatives to the regulated gambling brands that are available across the US.