“We Want It That Way!”

It has been revealed that FanDuel, one of the USA’s largest online betting operators, attempted to quash regulation aimed at helping problem gamblers, the young and vulnerable people, in Freedom of Information (FOI) documents obtained by the Guardian.

FanDuel, owned by the Dublin-based gambling giant Flutter Entertainment, lobbied for New York to “rethink” its plans to impose a ban on gambling platforms from using certain terms and phrases to attract people “who are or may be” problem gamblers to their websites. FanDuel argued the requirement was “extremely subjective and impractical to enforce”, comparing this to “a liquor store not being able to advertise to customers who ‘may be’ alcoholics.”

The US gambling giant didn’t like the rules which prohibited sports-betting ads near colleges either, despite the legal gambling age in the state being 21. The commission’s staff made it clear the rules were there to prevent “predatory marketing” from reaching underage students.

FanDuel’s objections to proposed sports betting advertisement legislation continued with documents showing redacted memos. Brianne Doura-Schawohl, a problem-gambling lobbyist said that gambling operators who were once in favour of the rules are now not so keen on them. “It’s the biggest hypocrisy,” she said. “It seems not only disingenuous to the public, but also the policymakers that probably took many of them at their word that responsible gambling was a priority.”

The gambling industry is “utilizing consumer welfare and responsible gambling practices to legalize markets”, added Doura-Schawohl. “But when there is an opportunity to influence regulations, they are trying to overturn and undo any obligations they have to the very consumer protections they promised were a pillar of their business.”

FanDuel claim they are “committed to protecting players. To help manage play in a healthy, responsible way, by offering proactive tools and support.”

Source:

“Top US Vetting Firm Lobbied Against Rules To Protect Young People and Problem Gamblers”, theguardian.com, December 9, 2023.