SBC Americas

DraftKings is facing another class-action lawsuit in New York district court over allegations of deceitful and unethical promotions and advertising.

In a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Clara De Leon and Eric W. Mirsberger Jr. assert that the Boston-based operator has been “deceiving New Yorkers and misleading them” into betting larger sums and more frequently.

The lawsuit takes issues with DraftKings’ use of language such as “risk-free bet” or “no sweat bet.” The plaintiffs allege that while those promotions falsely promise new users that they will get free money which they can wager without risk, DraftKings increases users’ propensity to gamble by refunding such wagers via bonus bets rather than real money.

Alleging that DraftKings uses these promotions to entice “gambling-naive customers” like the plaintiffs in question, the suit added that the company does not clearly communicate that those signing up for “no sweat” promotions were at ri..

New Jersey Assemblyman Brian Bergen has introduced a piece of legislation that proposes changes to the state law regarding sports betting advertisements.

Bergen has introduced Bill A5207, which aims to ban the “posting, distributing, broadcasting, or disseminating” of any online ad related to sports betting. It proposes an immediate ban of online sports betting ads and also bans marketing shared via any web-based platform on a mobile device.

“I just think it’s become totally ridiculous,” Bergen told New Jersey 101.5 earlier this week. “The advertising has been like a runaway train and it needs to be reeled in.”

Under Bill A5207, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) is responsible for ensuring that companies comply with the ban on online sports betting ads.

Bergen has filed a bill to ban online betting ads with the goal to protect young audiences.

“Our children don’t need to see these things in a glorified way that entices them to become lifelong gambling addicts,” ..

Discerning Capital is leveraging its expertise in gambling and technology to launch a venture designed to support responsible gaming.

The Las Vegas-based venture capital firm has announced the launch of BettorWatch, Inc. a technology solutions provider for RG efforts for some of the largest gambling brands in America. BettorWatch will collaborate with operators to identify and develop solutions that will help brands and their players combat problem gambling. BettorWatch will bolster its RG efforts with the looming acquisition of iProtekt, Inc., which offers unique tools.

“We are thrilled to be a part of BettorWatch and further our shared mission of creating a safer and more sustainable gaming industry,” said iProtekt founder and CEO Bryan Price. “By combining iProtekt’s best-in-class responsible gaming tools with BettorWatch’s strategic vision and industry expertise, we are poised to make a significant impact on how the industry approaches problem gaming prevention and intervention.”..

The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) is launching a certification program that will allow operators to continue adhering to responsible gaming standards.

ROGA has announced the launch of a Request for Proposal (RFP) process aimed at developing a certification program for online operators that want to ensure their players are offered protection from gambling-related harm. It also aims to keep gaming recreational.

The RPG process will provide operators with a comprehensive framework for RG by providing standards for employee training, self-exclusive and corporate policies.

“This step marks a significant milestone in our mission to build an organization that provides valuable resources to promote responsible gaming,” said ROGA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley. “I’m excited by the release of this RFP as it demonstrates our commitment to offer operators in this growing industry a program that assesses policies and responsible gaming support mechanisms, exclusion protoc..

New Hampshire lawmakers heard from the state’s lottery director and gambling health advocates from neighboring Massachusetts on Tuesday about a proposal to cut 18-to-20-year-olds out of sports betting.

At a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Jan. 21, Rep. Sally Fellows presented HB 83, which would raise the state’s minimum legal sports wagering age from 18 to 21.

Per New Hampshire Lottery financials, 18-to-20-year-olds wagered more than $14 million in FY 24, providing around $639,000 in revenue to the state.

New Hampshire is one of a small handful of regulated sports betting states that allows people as young as 18 to bet.

Argument hinged largely on young men’s brains

Fellows stressed that research shows that 18-to-20-year-old males are more likely than mature adults to engage in risky behaviors because their cognitive ability to evaluate the consequences of their actions has not completely developed.

She also pointed to the dangers of cellphone addiction among younger d..

ESPN has begun a new campaign focused on promoting responsible gaming practices around sports betting.

“The Talk” intends to educate ESPN Bet users and ESPN’s wider audience about how to gamble on sports smartly and protect themselves from the risks of problem betting.

The campaign features two creative spots, each featuring a SportsCenter anchor. A spot led by Elle Duncan will debut on Jan. 21 across ESPN platforms during the TGL golf league broadcast, while another featuring Gary Striewski is set to air later in 2025.

ESPN said in a release that “The Talk” uses humor and is inspired by heart-to-heart conversations within families. It will include the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline and direct viewers to a dedicated landing page, ESPN.com/smartplay, that offers additional tools and resources to help fans understand what smart betting looks like and to help them have meaningful conversations about responsible betting.

“At ESPN, we believe it’s our responsibility to help sports fans understa..

EPIC Global Solutions has agreed to a landmark deal with a NCAA Division III conference.

The London-based gambling harm consultancy has reached an agreement with the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) making the conference the first DIII conference to offer a gambling harm education program through EPIC. The agreement, which includes an initial six-month consultancy period, will provide education on sports betting issues to student-athletes and staff, including athletic directors, from all PAC member schools.

“Since sports betting became legal and so accessible online, the PAC and administrators in our conference have been searching for a way to educate our student-athletes and staff about the potential dangers of online gambling,” said PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko. “This partnership with EPIC Global Solutions will help provide our conference schools with the tools to help our athletes be better informed about possible issues that can be brought on by online gambling.”

EPIC will ..

Pennsylvania regulators have voted down a proposal that would have given self-excluding gamblers an easier path to return to state casinos, citing relapse concerns.

The proposed Regulation #125-250 would have modified the state’s self-exclusion removal process for land-based casinos to bring it in line with other forms of gambling such as online gaming, fantasy sports betting and retail video gaming terminals.

Currently, self-imposed bans for players in those latter categories automatically end after a certain time period. the user can select to be excluded for one year, five years or for life. In contrast, self-excluding players at casinos must manually remove themselves from the prohibited list after their one- or five-year exclusion terms are over.

The proposal to automatically end self-exclusion bans for casino gamblers was originally approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) in August 2024 but received stern criticism and negative feedback during a public commen..