The NHL, NBA, and MLB have teamed with sportsbook operators FanDuel, newly launched ESPN BET, Fanatics Sportsbook, DraftKings, and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) for a new 30-second advertising spot that promotes the importance of setting limits while wagering.
The “Never Know What’s Next” ad will debut on TNT and the social media platforms of all three professional leagues during Tuesday night’s NBA In-Season Tournament game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers. The 30-second spot intersperses highlights of successful and unsuccessful players in all three leagues, with the narrator pointing out that virtually every play “is a risk when you bet.”
The narrator also points out that there’s “no easy money, there’s no lock, and no one wins all the time” when it comes to sports betting, with a basketball lingering over the rim after a bounce during the last sequence. At the end, the narrator reminds viewers, “If you bet, bet responsibly, and always set a limit.”
The 30-second spot also points viewers to the NCPG’s Responsible Play website, which provides educational resources on problem gambling. More than $86 billion has been wagered in the United States in 2023, and national sports wagering handle will exceed $100 billion in a calendar year for the first time since it was made legal on a state-by-state basis in 2018.