Ahead of the launch of ESPN BET on November 14, sports media giant ESPN has unveiled strict guidelines to ensure the integrity of its brand and journalistic operations. 

The New ESPN Guidelines Strive to Safeguard Against Information Misuse

ESPN is leaving no stone unturned in preventing any potential misuse of information by its employees, particularly those designated as “Insiders” or “Reporters.” The guidelines, released internally on November 10, outline the rules for ESPN’s 5,000 employees, explicitly stating that insiders like Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bets on the leagues they cover, such as the NFL and NBA.

The company is taking extra precautions to prevent the use of confidential information for betting purposes, covering a range of potential insider knowledge, including player injuries, officials’ decisions, and management insights. This extends to all ESPN employees, from front-facing talents to production personnel and journalists working both on and off-site.

ESPN’s stringent stance also extends to executives managing business relationships with leagues. The guidelines explicitly forbid betting on leagues or properties they handle on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, the company urges all employees to avoid participating in any form of illegal betting.

ESPN’s Guidelines Unveil Restrictions on Awards, Personnel Decisions, and Draft Picks

Certain types of bets are singled out for extra caution, such as awards votes (e.g., league MVPs), player personnel decisions, and draft picks. ESPN does not want its employees, particularly those with potentially relevant confidential information, to influence or participate in these types of wagers.

These guidelines were developed in alignment with The Walt Disney Company’s Standards of Business Conduct and may see updates once ESPN BET goes live in 17 US states on November 14. The network has already initiated promotional efforts for ESPN BET, with anchor Scott Van Pelt leading the way.

While ESPN declined to comment specifically on the guidelines, it is clear that the company is taking proactive measures to ensure the separation of its journalistic enterprise from the operations of the sportsbook. The memo explicitly states that no story should be reported, delayed, influenced, or withheld with the intention of impacting betting lines.

In August, ESPN and Penn Entertainment joined forces to launch ESPN BET, transforming the existing Barstool Sportsbook into an exclusive sportsbook deeply integrated into ESPN’s programming. The partnership, accompanied by a $1.5 billion cash infusion from Penn Entertainment to ESPN, aims to create a seamless sports betting experience for fans and capitalize on the growing legal sports betting market in the United States. The collaboration signifies ESPN’s strategic entry into the sports gaming arena, leveraging its platform for comprehensive gaming industry coverage and betting-oriented programming.

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Earlier this week, lawmakers in Spain approved the “Royal Decree on Responsible Gambling Environments,” a new regulation of the gambling sector that enforces tough restrictions in an effort to protect customers and especially young adults.

Supported by Alberto Garzón, the Minister of Consumer Affairs in Spain, the new Decree enforces tough regulation for the sector, implementing advertising restrictions and demanding operators to comply with guidelines that seek to protect the public from at-risk gambling as well as gambling harm.

The New Decree Seeks to Identify At-Risk Gambling

One of the major changes within the new regulation involves customers aged 18 to 25 years old, an age group also referred to as young adults. Per the new Decree in Spain, the gambling regulators would be obligated to monitor the activities of those customers, collecting data involving their betting habits that would help build a “risk profile” for each of those clients.

If a customer within that age group passes specific thresholds for at-risk gambling or shows signs of gambling harm, the operators would need to contact them. Such triggers can be changes in gambling behavior involving accumulation of losses, frequent deposits and others.

Licensed gambling operators would engage with such users, warning them that a potentially harmful gambling pattern is detected. Individuals that are identified as “at-risk gamblers” due to an increase in money spent on gambling or losses would not be allowed to use credit cards under the new Decree.

Compliance with the Decree Is Mandatory

As with any regulated gambling market, licensed operators in Spain need to adhere to the new regulations. In the event of breaches, the Ministry of Consumption would engage in heavy fines that can go up to €50 million ($53.1 million). In severe or cases involving repeated violations, regulatory sanctions such as license suspension or license revocation may be imposed as well.

Besides engaging with the customers, gambling operators in the country would be restricted from targeting young adults with bonus offers or VIP incentives. Such advertising won’t be allowed for that age group. On the other hand, young adults that haven’t registered with gambling operators would not be subject to advertising by gambling companies.

The new restrictions are expected to be implemented within the next six months, yet a solid date is yet to be confirmed. Some restrictions may take longer to implement primarily due to technological changes.

The new decree reaffirms Spain’s innovative and robust approach toward tackling gambling harm. Some of the changes closely resemble the active regulation currently in place for the Netherlands, another European gambling market that is focused on protecting consumers and ensuring they engage in gambling activities responsibly.

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Germany continues to be plagued by illegal gambling operators, resulting in lower revenues from the licensed gaming verticals. This is a serious problem that the European country has been struggling for a while with.

According to the German Sports Betting Association (Deutsche Sportwettenverband/DSWV), legal sports betting declined in 2022 in spite of the FIFA World Cup which bolstered operators’ revenues in other markets. On the contrary, German companies saw revenues plummet, causing serious concerns for the future of legal gambling in the country.

German sportsbooks earned $8.7 billion (converted from Euro, current rates) in 2022, which represents a 13% year-on-year decline from the $10 billion it earned the prior year. State revenues from sports betting tax also declined correspondingly to around $460 million.

Tight Regulations Are to Blame, the DSWV Says

The DSWV attributed the suboptimal results to Germany being knocked out of the World Cup in the early stages and the repressive market regulations. In its efforts to protect customers from gambling harm, Germany has created a rule set that makes it hard for operators to remain sustainable.

In addition, the regulations have channeled some players toward the black market. According to the DSWV, the regulations are not helping people save money. Instead, people are gambling the same amounts elsewhere. This is confirmed by recent studies that show a steep 65% rise in illegal gambling activity.

Another problem is that the legal German market is not known for its diverse products. While it offers quite a few sports betting sites, most of them offer a limited types of markets. In addition, customers do not have much choice when it comes to slots, poker and online casino games either.

Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV, said:

For most customers, whether a provider has a permit from Germany is secondary. They are looking for the most comprehensive offer, the best odds, uncomplicated payment processes and interesting bonuses. That’s where the legal offers have a hard time.

Mathias Dahms, president, DSWV

Ads Aren’t So Bad, the Union Argues

Another thing that prevents the legal market from being successful is Germany’s strict restrictions on gambling advertisements. Gambling ads are one of the hot topics of the global regulated gambling industry, as many regions are seeking to protect non-gamblers from being bombarded with gambling content.

However, restricting ads has an adverse effect when it comes to existing gamblers, who have no qualms about picking an illegal operator, despite the related risks.

The DSWV noted that many people falsely assume that more ads equal more gamblers. However, certain markets such as the UK and Denmark have proven this notion to be wrong.

Luka Andric, CEO of the DSWV, also commented on the matter. He said that advertising is useful for telling people which sites are legal and provide player protections. Andric highlighted the importance of advertising in a responsible way and preventing self-excluded people from receiving ads.

The DSWV hopes that Germany will be able to strike a balance between protecting its customers and preventing the black market from reigning supreme.

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