An analysis of sports wagering commercials carried out by Nielsen for the American Gaming Association (AGA) discovered that the quantity of television sports wagering advertisements has diminished by 33.3% since 2021.

The analysis investigated sports wagering advertising trends from 2013 to 2023. The AGA observed that television is the main platform for sports wagering advertisers.

The report proposes that the reduction in sports wagering advertising could be attributed to modifications in localized marketing strategies as more states legalize sports wagering.

The AGA stated: “Promotion for legal sports wagering plays a crucial role in informing consumers about legal betting operators and directing them to secure betting options. As sports wagering expands to new states, legal operators typically initiate advertising campaigns to raise awareness of legal sports wagering and contend for market share. Over time, these markets mature and advertising levels decrease.”

The quantity of sports wagering television advertising units also decreased by 11% year-on-year.

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

During the year 2023, for every solitary sports wagering commercial on television, there were eight fast food advertisements and thirty-one pharmaceutical advertisements.

Expenditures on television sports wagering commercials experienced a reduction of $210 million, representing a 23% decrease from the preceding year, 2022.

In 2023, sports betting advertising spending across all media channels saw a decrease of $210 million (£167.1 million/€195.4 million), marking a 15% decline from 2022. Excluding daily fantasy sports, this figure was 21%. The quantity of sports betting commercials across all channels experienced a 4% year-over-year reduction, down 20% from its peak in 2021.

The report also delved into the popularity of all gambling advertisements in the United States. It highlighted that gambling advertising spending across all channels experienced a 14% year-over-year decrease, reaching its peak in 2022 but experiencing a relative decline in 2023.

The report observed that this marked the first instance since 2016 where gambling advertising spending had decreased during a period not impacted by a pandemic.

Gambling television advertising spending decreased by 15% year-over-year. Digital advertising spending saw a 17% decrease, while radio advertising spending remained unchanged.

The United States is currently considering regulations pertaining to sports wagering.
Thirty-eight states within the United States have legalized sports wagering. However, recently, some states have been contemplating restrictions on sports wagering.

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

A campaign to prohibit collegiate proposition wagering has swept across numerous states. Ohio’s Gaming Control Commission outlawed college prop betting in February, at the behest of the NCAA. In March, the NCAA declared it would prohibit all collegiate prop betting nationwide.

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