The NFL is limiting the number of sports betting commercials that may appear around the Super Bowl, even as gambling advertising remains common across U.S. sports broadcasts.
Tim Schlittner, the NFL's director of communications, told GamblingHarm.org that six total ads are permitted from just before kickoff through the game's conclusion.
Key Takeaways
- The NFL permits a maximum of six sports betting ads from pre-game programming through the end of the Super Bowl.
- Claims that betting ads are capped at 5% of total Super Bowl advertising do not reflect an official NFL rule.
The league does not disclose when those ads air or which companies purchase them.
Betting commercials account for a single-digit percentage of total Super Bowl ads, and the event has never reached the six-ad maximum due to economic constraints. A 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs around $8 million, with additional production expenses, limiting participation. The two most recent Super Bowls each featured ads from two betting brands.
Gambling harm advocates warn that sportsbook commercials can be concerning for people with gambling problems or those in recovery, particularly when ads feature celebrity endorsements that may make betting appear less risky. Despite this, a recent YouGov study found that celebrity endorsements don’t have much impact on whether a person will use a gambling platform.
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Gambling marketing during major U.S. sports broadcasts
A study conducted by the University of Bristol observed 13 events, including six Stanley Cup finals matches between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, and seven NBA finals matches between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, totaling 6,282 examples of gambling marketing.
The study found that an average of 3.5 gambling references appear per minute of NHL broadcast time. The highest frequency of marketing instances occurred in one game with 4.7 gambling references per minute of broadcast time, or one every 13 seconds.
On average, 0.26 gambling references appear per minute in NBA broadcasts. Researchers stated that the difference could be due to the NBA's greater use of channels like YouTube, which have more stringent policies on gambling advertising.
The most prominent form of gambling advertising in the arena includes in-stadium visuals, such as rink-side boards, electronic signs, and advertisements on players' jerseys. This form of promotion, the researchers explain, provides constant visual exposure to fans. Although not as frequent, commercials are still part of the overall mix.
