Survey Says

A recent survey of NFL bettors conducted by Optimove can tell us a lot about this cohort, including what sports betting messaging is penetrating their bubble.

Sep 07, 2023

NEWS: A survey of NFL bettors conducted by Optimove has a lot of interesting data points. Some confirm what we know, while others cut against the grain.
NEWS: New Hampshire’s online casino hopes in 2024 could hinge on a criminal investigation into a lawmaker’s spouse.
NEWS: The NFL gets proactive with betting, ramping up efforts to educate players on the league’s gambling policies.
VIEWS: What to look for during Responsible Gaming Education ~~Week~~ Month.
AROUND the WATERCOOLER: Who should be part of the RG discussion?
STRAY THOUGHTS: Solid concepts that haven’t materialized.

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Optimove Surveys NFL Bettors

Optimove published the results of a survey of 287 US citizens with a minimum salary of $75,000 who bet on the NFL in August 2023.

One of the interesting findings is that 63% of respondents were happy with the amount of advertising or wanted more. Only 15% felt “bombarded” by ads.

However, in a previous survey of the general public, Optimove found that 66% wanted fewer ads, and 27% felt “bombarded.” Which demonstrates the difference between a cohort of bettors and the general public.

Another interesting finding was the average bet (keep in mind the cohort had a minimum salary of $75,000), with 56% averaging under $50 per wager and 20% having an average wager of $1-$10. I would have liked to have seen the percentage betting no more than $25, but without further details (bet frequency), this points to most people betting responsibly.

Some other positive nuggets on the responsible gambling front:

81% of respondents said they set a budget for their wagering.
92% were aware of responsible gambling resources.
85% believe their preferred betting site has good responsible gambling practices.
40% use RG tools offered by sports betting operators.

All that said, 45% have said they have wagered more than they can afford to lose or wanted to bet at least once.

NH Lawmaker Resigns From Gaming Study

New Hampshire state Rep. Laurie Sanborn, who voted against online casino legalization earlier this year, has resigned as the chair of the lavishly titled Commission to Study the Effect of Recent Changes Made to the Charitable Gaming Laws, Including the Newly Authorized Historical Horse Races (or the ERCMCGLINAHHH for short) following the announcement of a criminal investigation into Sanborn’s husband that alleges he misused $844,000 in COVID funds.

Per the Concord Monitor, Andy Sanborn used the funds for “cash payments disguised as rent, the purchase of two Porches for himself and a Ferrari for Laurie Sanborn.” Casinos were ineligible for the funds, but “Sanborn left out the registered trade name for his business “Concord Casino” on his loan application and characterized the business activity as “miscellaneous,” according to the Lottery Commission and Attorney General.”

Rep. Sanborn chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, which is where an online casino legalization bill died last year after the Senate passed it. The main opposition to online casinos came from the state’s charity casinos - Sanborn’s husband owns the casino in Concord and was preliminary approved to open another before the criminal investigation was announced.

The controversy could cut one of two ways. It could eliminate a key obstacle, as Sanborn has a clear conflict of interest and could lose her Ways and Means chair over the investigation, given she got a Ferrari out of it. Conversely, lawmakers may decide that drawing more attention to gambling while a legislator’s casino-owning spouse is under criminal investigation is a bad idea - Indiana ran into the same issue in 2022.

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The NFL’s Efforts to Counteract Betting By Athletes

The NFL is increasing its gambling educational efforts after ten players have been penalized for various gambling infractions.

Per Sports Handle, the NFL is highlighting the following policies:

Don’t bet on the NFL. This includes games, awards, and other events like the NFL Draft.
Don’t have someone place a bet for you.
Don’t gamble while inside a team facility, whether on anything from sports to casino games to card games. This includes a ban on using a mobile sportsbook when traveling for road games or staying at a team hotel.
Don’t share inside information, such as private injury information.
Don’t enter a retail sportsbook during the NFL season.
Don’t play daily fantasy football.

It all seems like common sense, but NFL players have enough to worry about without adding some strange gambling policies into the mix. Think about all the HR trainings you’ve sat through and how much of that information you’ve absorbed.

The policies are also arbitrary and likely seen as a no harm, no foul situation by players. As one NFL player noted, their transgressions are completely legal under Tennessee state law.

In his statement, Petit-Frere said, “The betting I engaged in was NOT NFL related and was legal under Tennessee law.”

25 Years of Responsible Gaming Education Week Month

Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM) is upon us - RGEM was RGEW up until 2022.

Per a press release from the American Gaming Association, “This year, RGEM will highlight four weekly themes:

Empowering Customers to Play Responsibly | Sept. 1-10
Legal, Regulated Gaming Protects Players | Sept. 11-17
Building a Responsible Gaming Culture Within | Sept. 18-24
Advancing Responsible Gaming with Research | Sept. 25-30

RGEM is a time for gambling operators to highlight what they are doing on the RG front and, by extension, for the community to pick apart those efforts (see the Around the Watercooler section below) and point out where the industry is lacking.

A few of the questions came in one tweet. And if you’re interested in RG-PG and aren’t following Jamie, you’re doing it wrong.

It’s also when new euphemisms drop - I’m seeing the terms Safer Gambling and Positive Play pop up quite a bit.

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Around the Watercooler

Social media conversations, rumors, and gossip.

Who should have a seat at the Responsible Gambling-Problem Gambling table? That was a hot topic on X:

Stray Thoughts

Sitting here thinking what ever happened to virtual sports and skill-based slot machines. There is a big discussion on gambling as entertainment, and these are by far some of the most entertaining products I’ve ever encountered. But they haven’t caught on in the US, which makes me wonder if “gambling as entertainment” is easier said than done.