Ohio regulators are considering new restrictions on sportsbook marketing that would give customers a temporary break from promotional messages after they use responsible gambling tools. The proposed amendment would prevent sports betting operators from sending direct advertising or marketing communications for 48 hours after a customer opts into or changes certain account safeguards.
The proposal follows renewed scrutiny of how betting companies communicate with customers who have taken steps to manage their gambling activity. Reporting by ProPublica described a case in which a bettor received promotional push notifications shortly after setting limits on an account.
A proposed change, not a final rule
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has said it had been working on the amendment before the investigation was published. The reporting nevertheless brought additional attention to the issue and the regulator’s effort to address marketing practices around safer-gambling settings.
The proposed 48-hour pause is intended to give customers space after making changes to their account controls, without immediately receiving direct promotional messages encouraging further betting. The measure would apply to direct marketing and advertising, rather than amounting to a wider suspension of sportsbook operations.
The proposal still has to move through the state’s rulemaking process, which includes further public hearings and opportunities for comment. It should therefore not be treated as an existing statewide prohibition.
Potential implications for operators
If adopted, the amendment could require operators to review how their customer relationship management systems respond when users activate or modify deposit limits, time limits and other responsible gambling features.
The debate also raises a broader question for the US sports betting industry: how can operators communicate with customers commercially while ensuring that the use of safer-gambling tools is respected? Ohio’s proposal may become a reference point for other regulators examining the relationship between customer protection and sportsbook marketing.