• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetMGM Bonus Code
    • Bet365 Bonus Code
    • Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code
    • ESPN BET Promo Code
    • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetRivers Promo Code
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetMGM Bonus Code
    • Bet365 Bonus Code
    • Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code
    • ESPN BET Promo Code
    • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetRivers Promo Code
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

NBA Tells Operators To Stop Saying ‘Risk-Free Bet’ In Advertising

The league's stance follows an industry-wide trend to move away from the phrase

Bennett Conlin by Bennett Conlin
February 3, 2023
in Industry
dorian-finney-smith-shooting-layup

Glenn James/Getty Images

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Sports betting operators can no longer use the phrase “risk-free” in their marketing language used on platforms operated by the NBA and its franchises, according to a report from Sports Business Journal. 

“We believe it’s a problematic term from a responsible gaming and a problem gaming standpoint,” Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA senior vice president who heads gaming and new business ventures, told SBJ. “It’s important that we be clear with our fans that sports betting carries inherent risk. The notion that anything in this area is risk-free runs counter to the key messaging and education around sports betting. We just feel it’s the right move for us.”

DraftKings and FanDuel, official sports betting partners of the NBA, are among the operators that won’t be allowed to use the language. Other sportsbooks that advertise on league platforms like NBA TV, NBA.com, and team websites and social feeds are also expected to follow the new guideline. 

The league also expects “risk-free” phrasing to be out of team and league broadcasts by next season. 

Shift already afoot

The NBA’s stance falls in line with what operators are already doing. 

Major operators began transitioning away from the language in the second half of 2022, with many completely halting the use of “risk-free” in their marketing materials in 2023. FanDuel was among the first national operators to shift away from the language, adopting “no-sweat bet” instead of “risk-free bet” in the summer of 2022.

🎅 SANTA BARKLEY! 🎅

Opt in for a NO SWEAT Same Game Parlay for tomorrow night's game between the Jaguars and Jets! If your bet loses, you'll get a refund in free bets!https://t.co/DW5M4MgQuY | #SameGameParlay pic.twitter.com/zoTmlR8yPB

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) December 21, 2022

Sign Up For The Sports Handle Newsletter!
I also want to receive information and offers about online sportsbooks (eg. odds boost, welcome offers)

Other mobile sportsbooks — like Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and PointsBet — told Sports Handle they’ve either fully transitioned away from “risk-free” language or are in the process. 

The pressure on sportsbooks that ran promotions featuring the phrase “risk-free bet” ramped up in late 2022 and early 2023, considering many of those promos actually required bettors to risk a financial stake. Regulators in Ohio and Massachusetts each adopted rules to prohibit the use of “risk-free” when the promotion required a user to wager a financial stake of their own. The Ohio Casino Control Commission even fined a few operators that failed to follow its guidelines. 

Misleading “free bet” language has long irked responsible gambling advocates, who wanted to see sportsbooks change the phrasing to be more clear and accurate. It appears operators are now listening, en masse.

ShareTweetShare
Bennett Conlin

Bennett Conlin

Bennett Conlin is a sports betting reporter. He began his sportswriting career crafting recaps of family wiffle ball games. He’s covered more meaningful games since those early days, most recently writing about the University of Virginia’s athletic programs for The Daily Progress. Bennett can be reached at [email protected].

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only.

Related Posts

fanduel promo code design with malachi corley of western kentucky
Promotions

FanDuel Kentucky Early Sign-Up Promo Earns $100; Bet $5, Get $200 in Mass., Ohio, New York, All Other States

September 21, 2023
Industry

New Sumsub Platform Allows Sportsbooks To Tackle Responsible Gambling

September 20, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

hard rock guitars hotel lobby

Mobile Sports Betting In Florida At Least A Few Weeks Away, And Probably Much More

September 19, 2023
Getty Images

Will Prohibet Provide One-Stop Shopping For Detection Of Sports Betting Infractions?

September 14, 2023
have-a-game-plan-bet-responsibly-screenshot

Bettors Know All About Responsible Gambling, But Most Don’t Use Tools

September 12, 2023
nfl logo football

Schuetz: Football Is Back — Forget Everything You Think You Know About Betting

September 6, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Sports Betting in Kentucky

Kentucky Sports Betting – Pre-Launch Offers & Best Legal Sportsbook Apps for 2023

by Dukes Wooters
September 19, 2023

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – All Online Sportsbooks, Bonus Offers, and News 2023

by Brian Pempus
September 21, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
September 6, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
September 1, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
September 6, 2023

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps 2023

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Lottery
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright © 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Ohio
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetMGM Bonus Code
    • Bet365 Bonus Code
    • Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code
    • ESPN BET Promo Code
    • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code
    • BetRivers Promo Code
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News