In a groundbreaking move aimed at protecting minors from the influence of sports betting, Massachusetts regulators voted on June 29 to require sportsbooks operating within the state to incorporate age warnings on their logos displayed inside sports venues. 

New Regulation in Massachusetts Requires 21+ Warning on Sportsbook Logos in Arenas

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the policy change in a close vote of 3-2, after several months of extensive deliberations and public feedback. Under the new regulation, sportsbook operators will be given a 90-day grace period to comply with the requirement once it is officially published.

The mandate primarily targets standalone logos for sportsbooks in sports arenas, where minors are more likely to come across such branding. Popular venues like Boston’s Fenway Park will now be required to prominently display the age restriction warning to all spectators.

Sportsbook advertisements in Massachusetts already carry a disclaimer stipulating that individuals must be at least 21 years old to participate in sports betting. The newly passed change extends this requirement to standalone logos displayed at sports arenas. To comply with the new rule, sportsbook operators can simply add a clear “21+” label to their logos.

However, the mandate comes with certain limitations. It applies solely to fixed signage within sports arenas and does not encompass logos featured on apparel, letterhead, or business cards. Additionally, it does not extend to other public displays of a sportsbook’s logo, making the focus strictly on sports venue advertisements.

Massachusetts Sportsbook Logo Rule Puts Fanatics in a Bind

Among the companies significantly affected by this rule change is Fanatics, a well-known brand that utilizes the same logo for both its sportsbook and apparel business. To conform to the regulation, Fanatics will either need to design a separate logo exclusively for its sportsbook or add a “21+” disclaimer to all instances of its logo within stadiums if it chooses to maintain a unified brand image across all its products.

The commission’s decision to implement this new requirement garnered support from Commissioners Eileen O’Brien, Nakisha Skinner, and Jordan Maynard. However, Chair Cathy Judd-Stein and Commissioner Bradford R. Hill opposed the move. Judd-Stein expressed concerns about the potential effectiveness of the rule in deterring young people from engaging in sports betting and emphasized that Massachusetts is diverging from the approaches adopted by other states.

Nevertheless, the majority prevailed, with the commission emphasizing its commitment to protecting vulnerable age groups from exposure to gambling-related marketing in the sports arena. The move is expected to set a precedent for other states to follow suit in prioritizing the safeguarding of minors amidst the growing popularity of sports betting across the country.

The MGC keep striving to make gambling safer in the state with various initiatives. In April, it announced plans to involve sportsbooks in providing data to support research on gambling addiction and responsible gambling, while in March it introduced a voluntary self-exclusion program.

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The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has no plans to restrict gambling sponsors from featuring on the front of football clubs’ match-day shirts and follow in the footsteps of the English Premier League (EPL).

No Plans for Such Restrictions

The body overseeing the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship, Scottish League One, and Scottish League Two would not follow the lead of the EPL and introduce a voluntary restriction for its clubs to feature gambling firms on the front of their shirts, stating it was a matter for each club to decide.

“For many SPFL clubs, sponsorship from gambling companies is a significant source of income which helps to support their business models and enables investment in many of the important community activities which clubs undertake,” a spokesperson for the SPFL told BBC Scotland.

Individual sponsorships are a matter for each club and there are no plans for a league-wide proscription of such deals.

SPFL spokesperson

The SPFL announcement alleviated worries for at least three Scottish Premiership clubs Celtic, Rangers and Dundee United. Celtic is currently featuring Dafabet on the front of their shirts, Rangers has two gambling shirt partners -32Red and Unibet, and Dundee United’s jersey hosts the logo of QuinnCasino.

‘Desperate for Money’

The announcement was blasted by former First Minister Henry McLeish who believes the SPFL would not act because of financial issues. Adamant that tobacco, alcohol and gambling firms should have no place in Scottish football, McLeish believes the SPFL should not hide behind the clubs when it is its responsibility to “look after the general interests of football.”

I think we’re in a position in Scotland where, forgive the pun, it’s a match made in hell. Because quite frankly the SPFL is desperate for money and of course, the gambling industry is desperate for advertising.

Henry McLeish

McLeish regretted that the SPFL would not follow the lead of the EPL, expressing his disbelief that in Scotland and the UK “there are not good sponsors willing to come into the game if the game itself could be made more attractive to those particular sponsors.”

According to the collective agreement announced yesterday, Premier League clubs will voluntarily remove gambling firms from the front of their shirts starting from the 2026/27 season. Clubs will keep their right to feature gambling firms on the shirt sleeves, gear, on pitch-side hoarding, or elsewhere at their stadia.

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