NFL kicks off responsible betting campaign
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey—the National Football League (NFL) is spending $6.2 million to help expand programs to prevent or treat problem gambling across the country.
The league is launching a responsible betting initiative aimed at getting fans to set limits on their wagers, understand the risks of betting and know where to get help if things get out of hand. It is partnering with the National Council on Problem Gambling to improve the group’s nationwide help line, create new treatment programs and expand existing ones, and educate football fans who gamble on how to do so responsibly.
A three-year effort will include in-game messaging, social-media outreach, broadcast, print and in-stadium messaging. Some of it will target people who are too young to legally gamble but may feel tempted to do so.
More than 45 million Americans say they plan to bet on NFL games this year, according to the American Gaming Association, the casino industry’s national trade group. That’s an increase of 36 percent from last year.
“Sports betting is supposed to be fun,” said Christopher Halpin, the NFL’S executive vice president, chief strategy and growth officer. “We feel it is critical that the NFL uses the power of our voice to educate and encourage fans who choose to gamble to do so in a safe and responsible way. We also recognize that responsible betting programs across the country are under-resourced, especially as legalization spreads nationwide.”
Keith Whyte, executive director of the council, said the NFL’S funding will enable it to “exponentially” expand its advocacy, awareness and assistance efforts regarding problem gambling.
“We will be able to help so many more people as a result of this,” he said. “The NFL has set an example for the other professional sports leagues who also need to realize their obligation to address the downside of sports betting as much as they embrace the upside.”
Whyte said about 2 percent of the US population has a gambling problem, but among those who have gambled within the last 12 months, the rate is 5 percent.