A Nielsen research project on sports wagering commercials discovered that the quantity of television sports betting advertisements dropped by a third since 2021. The study, funded by the American Gaming Association, looked at sports wagering advertising trends from 2013 to 2023. The American Gaming Association pointed out that television is the biggest category for sports betting advertisers.

The report suggested that changes in localized marketing, as more states legalize sports betting, could be the reason for the decrease in sports betting advertising volume.

The American Gaming Association stated: “Commercials for legal sports wagering play a crucial role in introducing consumers to legal betting operators and directing consumers to safe betting choices. As sports betting expands to new states, legal operators typically launch advertising campaigns to raise awareness of legal sports betting and compete for market share. Over time, these markets mature and advertising levels decrease.”

Sports betting television ad units also fell by 11% year-on-year.

In 2023 alone, sports betting accounted for 0.8% of total national television ad spending. Sports betting accounted for 0.4% of total television ad share that year. In comparison, alcohol accounted for 0.5%, fast food accounted for 3.8%, and pharmaceuticals accounted for 14.1%.

During 2023, for every commercial promoting athletic wagering on television, there were eight commercials for fast food and 31 commercials for pharmaceuticals.

Television commercial spending for athletic wagering decreased by $210 million in 2023, a 23% drop from 2022.

Athletic wagering commercial spending across all media platforms declined by $210 million (£167.1 million/€195.4 million) in 2023, a 15% decrease from 2022. Excluding daily fantasy sports, the figure was 21%. The quantity of athletic wagering commercials across all platforms decreased by 4% year-on-year, down 20% from its 2021 peak.

The report also looked into the prevalence of all gambling advertising in the United States. It observed that gambling commercial spending across all platforms declined by 14% year-on-year, reaching its peak in 2022 but experiencing a relative decline in 2023.

The report observed that this is the first time since 2016 that gambling commercial spending has declined for reasons other than a global health crisis.

Gambling television commercial spending declined by 15% year-on-year. Digital commercial spending declined by 17%, while radio commercial spending remained unchanged.

The United States is considering regulations for athletic wagering.

Athletic wagering is legal in 38 states in the United States. However, recently, some states have been considering limitations on athletic wagering.

Last week, Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne Fontana introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of credit cards for online gambling, including athletic wagering. If passed, Pennsylvania would join Iowa, Massachusetts, and Tennessee in prohibiting the use of credit cards for gambling.

A number of states have prohibited collegiate proposition wagers. The National Collegiate Athletic Association declared in March that they will outlaw all college proposition wagers in the United States. Ohio outlawed collegiate proposition wagers in February at the NCAA’s request.

Subscribe to the iGaming newsletter.