Hockey fans are being exposed to gambling logos and advertisements as often as every 13 seconds during televised high-profile games, according to new research from the University of Bristol shared with the Guardian. The study found that viewers of June's Stanley Cup finals encountered an average of 3.5 marketing messages from betting firms every minute.
Since the US Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports betting in 2018, the gambling industry has expanded rapidly, with sports betting now legal in 39 states and Washington DC. Online betting companies have spent billions on advertising, sponsorship deals, and billboards, leading critics to accuse them of transforming top sports events into a 'second-by-second gambling opportunity'.
Democratic Congressman Paul Tonko warned: 'The constant barrage of marketing is especially dangerous for young and vulnerable groups and opens the doors for a new generation of potential gamblers to engage with this known, addictive product.' The study analysed 13 games from the Stanley Cup and NBA finals, recording 6,282 instances of gambling-related marketing, with 94% occurring during NHL broadcasts.
The most common formats were in-stadium visuals such as rinkside boards and jersey patches, providing 'persistent exposure' throughout games. In contrast, NBA broadcasts averaged just 0.26 gambling references per minute, partly due to the league's use of platforms like YouTube, which impose stricter limits on gambling ads.
Stephen Shapiro, a sports management professor at the University of South Carolina, noted that before 2018 most sports organisations wanted nothing to do with gambling, but now partnerships between leagues and betting entities have made it more acceptable. The researchers recommend federal legislation to regulate gambling advertising in the US.
