Lawmakers Tear Into Betting Platforms for Allegedly Targeting Young Adults
Five Democratic lawmakers sent a scathing letter to 12 online sportsbooks and prediction market platforms for targeting young adults with alleged predatory advertising.
The five-page letter was penned by Reps. Valerie Foushee, Paul Tonko, Betty McCollum, Kevin Mullin, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal. It stated, “We are particularly alarmed by the rapid normalization of online gambling among younger Americans and the targeting of this demographic through predatory advertising.”
The letter comes just after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged the N.Y. Gaming Commission to consider newer technologies, such as biometric verification, to curb underage gambling.
Two ads and major media outlets highlighted
In the letter, the lawmakers highlighted two gambling advertisements, major media markets, and their partnerships with prediction market platforms.
One TikTok ad was from Kalshi, in which a young adult claimed he had won two years of rent.
The other ad highlighted was bet365's “Winning is Everything” campaign.
The lawmakers pointed out that ads from betting platforms are targeting young adults, who are more vulnerable. According to a March Ipsos poll, the 18-24 age group was twice as likely to use online betting platforms.
The lawmakers called out major media outlets, such as CNBC and CNN, for partnering with prediction market companies. They claim those partnerships create a climate where young people are more likely, “to fall victim to a culture of ‘everything is gambling.’”
The letter added, “These trends point to a broader shift toward normalizing a new, unregulated form of betting for the next generation.”
Legal, so far
Every gambling company that received the letter operates legally. Online betting platforms are regulated at the state level, while prediction markets are regulated at the federal level by the CFTC.
However, there are active lawsuits in several states, such as Nevada and Minnesota, seeking to ban prediction markets.
A recent proposal by an Ohio lawmaker also aims to regulate prediction markets at the state level.
Unlike state-regulated betting sites, the state sees no tax income from federally regulated platforms. Lawmakers at the state and federal levels have introduced bills that would ban prediction market platforms for sports events or require them to comply with state gaming tax laws.
Just a few of the major betting platforms and prediction markets that received the letter were DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, Polymarket, and Kalshi.
The letter noted that some steps have already been taken to address the targeting issue. However, they also stated they were “insufficient” and “reactive.”
Authors have already acted
Some of the letter's authors have already introduced relevant legislation.
In March 2025, Tonko and Blumenthal co-sponsored the SAFE Bet Act at the federal level. That bill would impose federal conditions on sports wagering, including bans on sports betting ads during live events and on the promotion of bonus offers.
Last year, Blumenthal also introduced a federal bill that would earmark a portion of federal tax revenue from sports gambling for problem gambling.
However, neither bill was heard in committee.
