A pair of U.S. senators are looking to stop sports betting advertising from directly targeting young audiences.
On Monday, Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement Act, or GAME Act, which would prohibit social media companies and websites from targeting minors with sports betting ads.
Britt and Blumenthal are two of the more active senators when it comes to gambling issues.
“Sportsbooks and prediction markets are treating young people like a gold rush, flooding the internet with advertisements and promotions to hook them on gambling when they’re young,” Blumenthal said in a release. “High schoolers, even middle schoolers, are now gambling on their phones as never before, losing real money and creating life-altering addiction. The GAME Act would create a nationwide ban on targeted advertising of gambling to kids, backed with the force of punishing fines.”
Sports betting advertising limits
The GAME Act would put the Federal Trade Commission in charge of enforcing the law.
Repeat offenders would be referred to the Department of Justice, which could then impose penalties of up to $100,000 for each sports betting advertisement shown to a minor.
“We know targeted advertising from gambling and prediction market websites can serve as the gateway to dangerous habits that too often become crippling addictions,” Britt said in the release. “Our legislation takes a critical step toward addressing this problem before it worsens.”
Studies influencing GAME Act
The release from Britt’s office cited a 2024 study that found individuals who began betting before 18 were 50% more likely to develop a gambling addiction.
It also found that one in six parents would not know if their child is gambling.
A separate cited study found that 45% of young boys who gamble see gambling-related content online. Of those, 59% said the content appeared without searching for it.
Leading lawmakers
Blumenthal and Rep. Paul Tonko have led multiple efforts to strengthen responsible gambling guidelines in the US. The past two sessions, the pair have sponsored the SAFE Bet Act, which would create national advertising standards for the industry and ban collegiate prop bets.
He also co-sponsored the GRIT Act, which would have used federal funds from sports betting to study, prevent and treat gambling addiction. In 2023, he called for the end of collegiate partnerships with sportsbooks.
Britt, meanwhile, has also led in calling for bipartisan efforts to limit gambling effects in younger generations. In October 2025, she urged the DOJ to act against offshore operators. Earlier this year, she led a bipartisan letter to the Centers for Disease Control to study the rise of gambling in America’s youth.
