Report Delivered to Massachusetts Gaming Commission on the Impact of Gambling Ads

In a recent of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, commissioners listened to the findings of a report on the impact of advertisements from the best sports betting sites on players. The report was funded by the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (SEIGMA).

The report aimed to give commissioners a view of the current gambling market and how it is impacting younger and problem gamblers. It also included recommendations on how to improve gambling advertising from the best sports betting apps in the future. 

Recommendations from the report

One of the researchers, Rachel Volberg, testified, “Advertising generally emphasizes the positive experiences of use and downplays potentially negative aspects. The amount of positive advertising completely swamps any advertising on risks or on the availability of help.” 

Volberg recommended limiting advertising of higher-risk games, limiting gaming promotion for supporting “good causes,” and removing commercials that emphasize the urgency of claiming best sportsbook promos. She also suggested limiting celebrity endorsements and introducing greater advertising monitoring through social media platforms. 

The process of building the report

The study collected data from literature reviews, gambling data, and online panel surveys over several years. The panels invited residents to sign up and voluntarily give insight into their gambling habits.

Volberg commented that this introduced some bias into the results, as more frequent gamblers participated rather than a sample of random Massachusetts residents. However, she affirmed that the biases “can be a feature, not a bug” of the surveys.

In previous panels conducted in 2014, 2022, and 2023, problem gamblers have said that the significant amount of gambling advertising made them increase their gambling activities. Panel participants also said that news coverage on gambling, communication from casino associations and targeted promotions made them gamble more. 

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s consideration of gambling advertising practices comes as the Commission released data showing Massachusetts sports betting revenue dropped year-on-year in May.