NCL Questions Sportsbooks for Using Push Alerts to Drive Gambling

A new analysis shared by the National Consumers League (NCL) is raising concerns about how sports betting apps use push notifications to constantly nudge users into gambling. The findings suggest these alerts aren’t just a marketing tool — they might be making gambling problems worse, especially for those who are already vulnerable.

Good to know

• Over 90% of push notifications in the study were ads, mostly urging users to “bet now.”
• Push notifications don’t legally require consent or opt-out options like emails or texts do.
• NCL is calling for new rules that would limit or ban these types of gambling alerts.

Most people don’t think twice about push notifications — they’re just background noise. But in the case of sports betting apps, the NCL found that these alerts go beyond convenience. Instead, they flood users with constant reminders to place bets, sometimes late at night or during emotionally charged moments like team losses.

Imagine if a tobacco company sends a text every day, multiple times a day, to encourage you to smoke their cigarettes.

The report reviewed more than 100 push messages from major operators including FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM over a four-week span. The results showed that 93% of the messages were promotional, and nearly two-thirds included clear calls to action, like “bet now.”

Eden Iscil, the NCL’s senior public policy manager, drew a direct line between this kind of messaging and the risks involved. “Sports betting is not a typical product or service,” Iscil explained. “These companies are not selling shoes or T-shirts. They are aggressively advertising their platforms for gambling, an activity that has well-documented addictive and harmful effects, from increased rates of suicide and intimate partner violence to an elevated risk of bankruptcy.”

The report doesn’t just criticize — it also pushes for legislative action. The NCL is supporting several bills aimed at limiting how these apps can advertise through smartphones. Among the measures backed:

1. The SAFE Bet Act, which would place restrictions on push notifications, AI-driven promos, and late-night gambling ads.
2. The Regulating Addictive Notifications Act, aimed at banning betting ads through push or text alerts.
3. New Jersey’s Assembly Bill A5207, which targets online gambling ads across the board.

Additionally, NCL is asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate these practices under existing consumer protection laws, which forbid unfair or deceptive marketing.

Some of the most alarming data in the report connects gambling behavior to real-world harm. One cited study showed a 10% jump in intimate partner violence after team losses in households with sports bettors. Others revealed a 28–30% increase in bankruptcy filings in states that legalized online betting, along with higher suicide risks tied to gambling disorders.

Iscil didn’t hold back: “Imagine if a tobacco company sends a text every day, multiple times a day, to encourage you to smoke their cigarettes. That is basically what sports betting apps are doing.”

At the heart of the issue is how push notifications slip through regulatory cracks. While emails and texts are covered by rules that give users the right to opt out, push alerts aren’t treated the same way. There’s no clear legal framework requiring apps to get consent — or even offer a stop button.

“The government regulates advertising on television, email, and text messages,” Iscil pointed out. “But when it comes to push notifications, something that’s arguably more effective than each of those older mediums, there are no protections.”