NCL conducted a first-ever online sports betting report—and the findings are alarming. Over a four-week period, our staff tracked more than 100 push notifications from the three largest sports betting apps. The results from the three apps combined: 93% of notifications were advertisements, 62% pushed users to place immediate bets during sporting events, and 50% promoted bonus offers. These aggressive tactics drive engagement, but at a significant cost to consumers.

Remarkably, at the time of NCL’s report, none of the three apps had a setting to allow users to opt-out of marketing notifications, despite having such a setting for marketing emails and text messages. Following media reporting on NCL’s work, just one of the apps now appears to have that basic feature.

This report shines a light on the corruption-prone events in the online sports betting world. Just this month, the FBI had numerous arrests related to fraudulent NBA sports betting and two baseball pitchers were indicted for betting on their own games when they deliberately threw bad pitches.  NCL applauded this step toward accountability. NCL has consistently opposed online sports betting, but sadly, the United States Supreme Court gave it a green light in 2018. These arrests underscore the risks consumers face when gambling, the upsurge in addictive gambling, and now, with predatory practices and rampant corruption , the urgent need for a fair, transparent playing field. Too often, weak consumer protections, easy mobile access, and relentless advertising create a predatory environment that puts consumers in harm’s way.

NCL is calling on lawmakers and regulators to prohibit predatory push notifications, enforce existing law governing consent requirements, and advance legislation like the SAFE Bet Act.  Without comprehensive reforms, consumers will continue to be exposed to unnecessary and preventable harms.