Sports Betting Ad Spending Drops in 2023

A Nielsen investigation into sports wagering promotions, commissioned by the American Gaming Association (AGA), revealed a significant drop in the volume of television sports betting advertisements since 2021. The study, which examined sports betting advertising trends from 2013 to 2023, highlighted television as the dominant platform for sports betting advertisers. The report attributed the decrease in advertising to modifications in localized marketing strategies as more states legalize sports wagering. The AGA stated that advertising for legal sports betting plays a crucial role in providing consumers with information about legitimate betting operators and guiding them toward safe betting practices. As sports betting expands to new states, legal operators typically launch advertising campaigns to increase awareness of legal sports betting and compete for market share. Over time, these markets mature, and advertising levels decrease accordingly. Television sports betting ad units also experienced a year-on-year decline of 11%. In 2023, sports betting accounted for 0.8% of total national television advertising spending. Sports betting represented 0.4% of total television ad share that year. In contrast, alcohol accounted for 0.5%, fast food for 3.8%, and pharmaceuticals for 14.1%.

During 2023, for every athletic wagering advertisement, there were eight fast food advertisements and thirty-one pharmaceutical advertisements.

Athletic wagering ad spending declined by two hundred and ten million dollars.
Athletic wagering ad spending on television declined by twenty-three percent compared to 2022.

In 2023, athletic wagering ad spending across all media channels decreased by two hundred and ten million dollars (one hundred sixty-seven point one million pounds/one hundred ninety-five point four million euros), down fifteen percent from 2022. Excluding daily fantasy sports, this figure was twenty-one percent. The number of athletic wagering ads across all channels decreased by four percent year-over-year, down twenty percent from its peak in 2021.

The report also examined the prevalence of all gambling advertisements in the United States. The report highlighted that gambling ad spending across all channels decreased by fourteen percent year-over-year, reaching its peak in 2022 but experiencing a relative decline in 2023.

The report noted that this was the first time since 2016, outside of the pandemic, that gambling ad spending had decreased.

Gambling television ad spending decreased by fifteen percent year-over-year. Digital ad spending decreased by seventeen percent, while radio ad spending remained unchanged.

The United States is considering athletic wagering regulations.
Athletic wagering is legal in thirty-eight states in the United States. However, recently, some states have been considering restrictions on athletic wagering.

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

The campaign to halt collegiate proposition wagers has expanded across numerous states. In March, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) declared their intention to prohibit all college proposition wagers within the United States. The Ohio Casino Control Commission took the lead in February, forbidding college proposition bets at the NCAA’s behest.

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