Timothy Dewhirst is a professor and senior research fellow in marketing and public policy at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.
Exemptions continue to allow athlete endorsers in sports-betting ads if they’re encouraging “responsible” gambling practices. Georges St-Pierre, the renowned martial-arts fighter, appears in BET99 ads indicating that they’re “here for you” to help you gamble responsibly.being accountable, but such marketing communication tends to shift attention away from the role of the sportsbook provider and toward the prospective gambler. The addictive potential of gambling goes unspecified.
Looking to the role of media campaigns and interventions that effectively reduced tobacco use, there are lessons to be learned from the Fairness Doctrine period in the United States. By turning to sportsbook companies to provide “responsible” gambling ads, it is seemingly – at first blush – an attempt to make them engage in corporate social responsibility, or CSR, initiatives. These initiatives should involve voluntary commitments from a company, rather than legislated ones.
Another issue: The stipulation of focusing on a “responsible” gambling message is applicable only to endorsers who are athletes. Actor and comedian Jon Lovitz, whose movie credits also include many films aimed at younger audiences, is seen in FanDuel ads that encourage bettors to follow “Your Lingering Hunch.” Advising people to guess or act on a premonition for betting decisions, especially in the sports context where fans are recognized as often being superstitious, does not come across as good guidance. Furthermore, as a celebrity who would likely be expected to appeal to minors, Mr.