Blumenthal calls out sportsbooks for targeting problem gamblers

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal is continuing his scrutiny of American sports betting by demanding that sportsbooks stop what he describes as the targeting of problem gamblers.

In a post published on his website, Blumenthal said he has written to eight major sports betting companies — DraftKings, FanDuel, MGMBet, ESPNBet, Fanatics, Caesars, BetFred, and Bet365 — to demand they stop leveraging data to target problem gamblers with promotions and ads.

Blumenthal has urged companies to make it easier for problem gamblers to remove themselves from online betting platforms.

The timing of his request is not coincidental, with the Democrat rep for Connecticut noting that March Madness is one of the busiest sports betting times of the year. Blumenthal cited the American Gaming Association figures that projected that Americans will wager $2.72 billion on NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball in the next two weeks through legal avenues, around 2.2% of the total handle wagered legally in 20..