The Responsible Online Gaming Association released a Marketing and Advertising Code on Tuesday, establishing a unified set of standards for how legal online sports betting and iGaming operators can market to consumers.
The voluntary code has been adopted by every ROGA member, which includes the biggest sports betting and online casino operators in the U.S. To maintain certification, the new code is being implemented into the organization’s independent Certification Program. Operators have three months to come into compliance.
ROGA does not have a members page on its website, but BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel all offered comments in the release. Bally’s and Fanatics are also listed as part of centralized self exclusion system ROGA has in the works. Bet365, Hard Rock Digital and Penn Entertainment were also founding members when the association launched in May 2024.
The new rules come as FanDuel is dealing with the fallout of a video the company solicited from MLB‘s Bryce Harper for a VIP customer who later sued concerning his gambling addiction. The company recently answered questions posed by members of Congress concerning responsible gambling protections and its VIP program.
What the marketing code requires
ROGA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley said responsible marketing and advertising needed to be addressed.
“Technology, digital platforms, and the ways players engage with online gaming continue to change, and responsible marketing practices must also evolve to meet this moment,” she said in the release. “By voluntarily aligning around a common, enforceable set of standards, ROGA member operators are demonstrating their commitment to responsible marketing and to strengthening consumer protections across the regulated industry.”
The code sets standards across four categories:
- Legal Age Protections: Marketing must avoid content designed to appeal to minors, run only on platforms where at least 75% of the audience is expected to be legal age or older, and cannot appear on college campuses or feature underage collegiate athlete endorsements.
- Message Content Standards: Marketing must accurately represent odds and outcomes, clearly disclose promotional terms, and avoid language – including “risk-free” claims – that frames gaming as a financial strategy rather than entertainment.
- Digital Marketing Requirements: Influencer partnerships must involve only individuals of legal age, clearly disclose paid relationships, and adhere to member-established responsible gaming marketing guidelines.
- Responsible Gaming Commitments: Members must provide responsible gambling resources, give customers the ability to restrict or revoke their own access, and refrain from targeting individuals identified for responsible gaming concerns.
ROGA also implemented VIP program guidelines for members in June.
Influencer section explained
Influencers must disclose paid partnerships or sponsorships to maintain transparency with their audience.
“These disclosures must be unambiguous, prominently positioned within the content or within the caption of the post, and compliant with platform-specific requirements, such as ‘Partner’ or ‘Paid Partnership’ tags,” the code reads. “To reinforce transparency, influencers must explicitly state the sponsorship within their content, ensuring the audience understands the relationship.”
As it relates to Harper, the Phillies’ star is not affiliated with FanDuel. The new code was not directly related to the Harper incident, Shatley told LSR.
“ROGA’s Marketing and Advertising Code is the product of substantial effort over the past several months, reflecting extensive collaboration to establish shared, enforceable standards across the industry. The Code, including the Influencers and Content Creator Standards, was shaped by existing research and evolving media and marketing practices, rather than in response to any single incident.
“ROGA members have consistently supported efforts to strengthen responsible marketing practices, and this Code represents the culmination of that long-term work.”
