Sports Betting Advertising Targeting Youth: The Evidence and the Legal Issues

Medically reviewed by licensed healthcare professionals · Legally reviewed by mass tort litigation specialists · Last updated: March 2026

DraftKings and FanDuel spent over $1.5 billion combined on advertising in 2023. Much of that spending was on sports broadcasts, podcasts, and social media platforms where the primary audience is male adults aged 18-34 — including millions under 21 in states where betting requires that minimum age.

The Scale of Sports Betting Advertising

Legal sports betting has become one of the largest categories of advertising in American sports media. During the 2023-2024 NFL season, gambling advertising represented the third-largest advertising category by spend across all NFL broadcasts. Sportsbook ads regularly appear during college sports broadcasts, despite college students being among the highest-risk demographic for problem gambling.

Beyond traditional broadcast, sportsbooks have invested heavily in social media influencer marketing, podcast sponsorships, and sports media platform partnerships — formats where age-gating is essentially impossible to enforce and where young adult male audiences are concentrated.

The "Free Bet" Hook

Nearly all sports betting advertising centers on deposit bonus offers: "Bet $5, Get $200," "First Bet Insurance Up to $1,000," and similar promotions. These offers are specifically designed to attract new customers and are particularly effective at attracting younger, less experienced bettors who may not understand the terms (rollover requirements, odds restrictions, withdrawal limitations) that make the bonuses far less valuable than advertised.

The FTC has opened inquiries into sports betting bonus advertising following consumer complaints about misleading offers. Several state attorneys general have issued guidance or taken enforcement actions against specific bonus advertising that they found to be deceptive.

Influence on Youth Gambling Attitudes

Research on advertising effects on adolescent gambling attitudes is concerning. A 2022 study found that exposure to sports betting advertising was significantly associated with positive attitudes toward gambling and higher intentions to bet among 16-24-year-olds — even those who had not yet bet. The normalization of gambling through advertising — particularly advertising integrated into the sports content young fans already consume — is altering baseline perceptions of gambling risk.

Legislative Responses

Several states have moved to restrict sports betting advertising. Massachusetts implemented advertising guidelines limiting gambling ads during live sports broadcasts on broadcast TV. California has proposed legislation restricting advertising on college campuses. The UK's "whistle-to-whistle" ban on gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts — in effect since 2019 — provides a model for what more restrictive regulation would look like.