NFL, NBA support federal betting regulations, wary of other restrictions

David Purdum, ESPN

The NFL and NBA see positives and negatives in a federal sports betting bill introduced in Congress last week that includes advertising restrictions and prohibitions on live wagering, according to sources familiar with the leagues’ positions.

The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act — or SAFE Bet Act — would prohibit sportsbook advertising from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and during live sports broadcasts. It would also ban bets on individual college athletes and in-game wagers on professional or college sports, something the NCAA has been lobbying for in states.

The league sources expect a lengthy legislative process with many adjustments to the SAFE Bet Act. The proposed ban on sportsbook advertising raised eyebrows at the leagues, according to sources.

Sportsbooks spent an estimated $22.9 million on 66 minutes of national linear TV ads during live NFL games the past two weeks, according to iSpot.TV, a company that measures the brand and business impact of TV and streaming advertising. The sportsbooks’ ad spend ranked sixth among all industries, and the airtime ranked eighth. Both figures are down approximately 15% from the first two weeks of last season, according to iSpot.TV.

The elimination of live betting — an increasingly popular form of wagering that takes place during games — is also likely to be a sticking point for the NFL and NBA and sportsbooks, according to the sources.

An NFL source told ESPN that the league is appreciative of legislative interest, especially any provisions in the SAFE Bet Act designed to help protect the integrity of the league and help combat game manipulation.

“At the same time, though, we’re concerned that there might be some unintended consequences on some of these provisions,” the league source said. “They’re ripe for further discussion.”

Major League Baseball and the NHL did not respond to requests for comment from ESPN.

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