Seven of the largest U.S. sportsbooks — bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital, and Penn Entertainment — are joining forces to establish the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) to promote responsible gambling. 

Top U.S. sportsbooks pledge $20 million to fund the Responsible Online Gaming Association 

For the first time ever, the sports betting companies will share analytics and confidential information about problem gamblers. The companies account for more than 85% of the legal online betting market in the U.S. Collectively, the seven sportsbooks have pledged more than $20 million to fund ROGA.

“I’m incredibly excited to move this forward and to really do some impactful things and to really expand the knowledge through the research and to create these evidence-based best practices and to really empower players with information,” said Jennifer Shatley, executive director of ROGA.

An estimated 2 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Another 5 million to 8 million U.S. adults are considered to have a “mild or moderate” gambling problem.

In March 2023, the American Gaming Association (AGA) launched an updated agreement to the association’s Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering, which sets the industry standard for responsibility in marketing and advertising of sports betting.

“Established in 2019, AGA’s Responsible Marketing Code reflects the commitment of our members to set and adhere to a high bar for responsible advertising,” stated AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “Today’s updates advance that commitment and represent our intention to protect consumers and evolve our standards as this nascent market matures.”

Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering is to protect college-aged students from sports gambling companies

Furthermore, the Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering was established to help provide college-aged students protections against the marketing and advertising of sports betting. 

Updated changes include banning all use of “risk free” in advertising, prohibiting sportsbook NIL deals for amateur and college athletes, and changing all references to the “legal age of wagering” to 21-plus.

Peter Jackson, the CEO of Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, said responsible gaming is important to ensure a positive business model. 

Additionally, Jackson is encouraging state regulators to crack down on the illegal marketplace to prevent unlicensed vendors from accepting wagers from problem gamblers.

“I urge the state regulators to help us by clamping down on some of those black-market operators,” Jackson told CNBC in an interview last month.