Sports betting ads are everywhere. Some worry gamblers will pay a steep price
A new era of legalized betting is taking root across the U.S., one that is radically reshaping what it means to watch professional and collegiate sports.
For many fans, the days of the once-a-year Super Bowl office pool are a distant memory. Betting on sports in much of the country is now as easy as tapping an app on your phone.
Sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel — companies that set odds and take bets — have unleashed an advertising storm, intent on scooping up as many customers as possible. If you've driven past a billboard, turned on a TV or used the internet lately, odds are you've seen an ad for sports betting.
States regulate how sportsbooks can operate but give companies wide latitude over what they can say in advertisements — a break from the constraints on other industries where there is a risk of addiction, such as tobacco. And there are no advertising rules specific to the sports betting industry at the federal level. The limited oversight has raised alarms for some, including advocates who worry about the potential risks for those with a history of problem gambling and people too young to bet.
Spectators now wager tens of billions of dollars each year on games they once watched with little or
