NFL Responsible Gambling Messaging Gets Neutral Response

Remember the early days when PASPA was being discussed, and sports leagues all came clamoring for integrity fees that, for the life of them, sportsbook operators just couldn’t figure out. Well, those days of entitlement are gone, and the National Football League, along with all other big leagues in the United States, have come to appreciate sports betting for what it is, and precisely…

NFL Committed to Keeping Consumers Safe

A way to engage with fans, boost viewership, and score net benefits for the sport and league both. The NFL has gone a completely different direction as this Thursday night, and it aired its first public service announcement on sports betting during the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints Game.

“Stick to your game plan. Always bet responsibly,” the message ran, reiterating popular tropes from responsible gambling initiatives around the country and across the Atlantic. NFL chief strategy and growth officer Chris Halpin spoke to ESPN about what that meant for the league. As head of the league’s forays into sports betting space, he is invested in getting the industry right from the start:

“Getting the tone where you’ll get people’s attention, so it’s not just lost in the flow of TV ads, but also having a clear, supportive tone was important.”

NFL chief strategy and growth officer Chris Halpin

The NFL is determined to continue and deliver on more public service announcements that will range in frequency. Messages with greater intensity may be aired during the playoffs or in the period leading up to them.

However, the NFL has not yet decided whether it would air the same messages during the Super Bowl game. The league is already working hard on maintaining responsible gambling, even though it doesn’t offer any such services directly.

Sports Betting Isn’t the Focus

It does, however, have numerous contracts with officially licensed sportsbooks that use league data and imagery to conduct business and provide sports fans with new ways to engage with the sports they love. In October, the NFL announced a partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling, designed to promote responsible gambling and assist vulnerable consumers.

As a result, the NFL invested $6.2 million to help vulnerable consumers to visit websites such as ResponsiblePlay.org, which is designed to educate people on the risks and harms related to gambling and how to bet responsibly and without falling victim to those practices.

Fans have so far not shown any particular sentiment towards the PSAs. Reception has been “neutral,” Halpin concluded.