The Ohio Casino Control Commission has proposed a rule that would prohibit sportsbooks from sending direct marketing to bettors for 48 hours after they enable or change a responsible gambling tool.
“The Commission is proposing to amend Sports Gaming Rule 3775-16-03 to address concerns related to potentially harmful targeted marketing that is being sent to individuals who are engaging with problem gambling tools,” the OCCC said.
The OCCC is accepting written comments on the proposed rule until 5 p.m. on Oct. 30.
How the marketing ban would work
The proposed amendment would prohibit sports betting operators from sending direct advertisements or promotional materials to customers within 48 hours of a customer enabling any responsible gambling tool. That includes push notifications and any other digital or physical direct marketing.
Under the existing rule, sportsbooks must give customers with funded accounts “an easy and obvious method,” immediately upon registration and at all times after, to set limits on deposits, wagers and time spent betting.
Changing any of those limits would trigger the 48 hour window. The ban would not apply to limits set during initial account creation.
The rule already includes safeguards around those limits. Once a customer sets a limit, it can only be loosened after the limit period expires. Operators must also give customers the option to set limits that renew automatically.
Would promo delay lead to fewer using RG tools?
The fact that bettors could opt not to use responsible gambling tools over concerns about missing a promo from their sportsbook of choice is the opposite of what operators want.
DraftKings Chief Responsible Gaming Officer Lori Kalani told the Louisiana Gaming Control Board Thursday that using responsible gambling tools needs to be normalized to the point that bettors are comfortable asking others what their limits might be.
DraftKings has used incentives to push people toward its RG tools in the past. Previously, bettors earned a chance to win Super Bowl tickets just for checking out their overall stats page, Kalani explained.
There was a similar proposal in New Jersey earlier this year, though that would have permanently banned promos for any bettor that used RG tools. That bill was passed out of committee in May but has not moved since. New Jersey’s legislature runs through Dec. 17 with bills from this year crossing over to 2027.
Other proposed changes in Ohio
The OCCC has proposed other amendments to the rule this year, too.
An Oct. 5 proposal would strengthen identity verification for online and retail sportsbooks, requiring online operators to digitally examine a customer’s ID and compare it to a live photo or video of the customer. Retail operators would need to physically or digitally examine a government-issued ID and verify the customer in person.
In July, the commission also proposed eliminating credit cards as a funding option for sportsbook accounts.
