Two U.S. senators are taking aim at the flood of sports betting and prediction market pitches on kids' screens, unveiling a bipartisan bill that would rip targeted gambling ads out of the social apps where minors spend much of their time. The proposal would ban gambling ads aimed at users under 18 and give federal regulators sharper teeth to go after platforms and ad networks that break the rules.
What the bill would do
The Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement (GAME) Act would make it unlawful for large digital advertising platforms to display targeted ads that promote sports gambling platforms to minors, with the ban kicking in one year after the bill becomes law. As spelled out in the bill text, covered platforms would include social apps, search engines and ad networks that bring in revenue from advertising and have more than 100 million unique monthly users, with enforcement handled by the Federal Trade Commission. Britt is also backing provisions that allow the Justice Department to pursue repeat violators and authorize civil penalties for unfair or deceptive practices.
Lawmakers frame it as child-protection
Sen. Richard Blumenthal has warned that the sports betting marketing push toward younger audiences has turned into a “gold rush,” arguing that teens are increasingly placing real wagers on their phones. In a press release announcing the bill, the sponsors said their measure is aimed squarely at behavioral profiling, device tracking and other ad-targeting tactics that push gambling content at minors. Sen. Katie Britt’s office laid out that rationale.
Why supporters say action is overdue
Advocates cite research showing that minors are already swimming in gambling content. A report from Common Sense Media found that roughly 36% of boys ages 11 to 17 said they had gambled in the past year, and many reported that gambling content simply “started showing up” in their feeds. That report and similar studies are a core part of sponsors’ argument that algorithmic distribution and influencer-driven content are normalizing risky behavior for young users. Common Sense Media published the findings.
Platform gaps and academic studies
Independent analyses and rapid reviews have found heavy volumes of sports betting and prediction market posts on TikTok, Instagram and other services, including examples of influencer promotions and algorithmically placed content reaching accounts that were set up as minors. Research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and a review led by the University of Bristol detail how promotional material can slip past moderation systems and still appeal to younger users, a concern lawmakers leaned on when crafting the GAME Act. ISD and the University of Bristol review spell out those patterns, and local coverage noted that the bill explicitly calls out platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. WCNC reported on the introduction.
What happens next
The GAME Act has just been introduced in the Senate, which means it still has to clear committee review and win floor approval before it can head to the president’s desk. If it becomes law, the FTC would have one year to write the implementing rules and then begin enforcement. The bill’s sponsors say they plan to lobby colleagues in both parties to move the measure ahead while researchers and child-safety advocates keep pushing for clearer platform guardrails and stronger age verification tools.
