US Senators Propose Legislation Concerning Online Gambling Advertisements

(AsiaGameHub) –   The Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement (GAME) Act would ban companies from directing sports betting ads toward minors.

US.- Senators Katie Britt and Richard Blumenthal have proposed legislation that would prevent online advertising platforms from showing sports wagering ads to individuals under the age of 18. The Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement (GAME) Act would bar social media platforms and other online advertising sites from using targeted ads to promote sports betting to minors.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would oversee enforcement of the rules, which would take effect one year after the law is passed. Noncompliance could lead to civil monetary penalties.

Repeated violations would be forwarded to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which could levy fines of up to $100,000 for each ad that promotes sports gambling to a minor.

Senator Britt stated: “The growing trend of sports gambling among minors, especially young boys, is alarming. We recognize that targeted ads from gambling and prediction market platforms can act as a gateway to harmful behaviors that frequently develop into debilitating addictions. This legislation represents a vital effort to tackle the issue before it escalates further. Our youth are our most valuable asset, and it is our duty to protect them from online threats whenever possible—precisely what this bill aims to do.”

Senator Blumenthal commented: “Sportsbooks and prediction markets are exploiting young people like a gold rush, inundating the internet with ads and promotions designed to hook them on gambling at an early age. High school students, and even middle schoolers, are now gambling on their phones like never before, losing real money and developing life-changing addictions. The GAME Act would establish a nationwide prohibition on targeted gambling advertising aimed at children, enforced with substantial financial penalties.”