Stop Deceptive Gambling Ads Now
Prediction market and online gambling platforms are flooding social media with paid influencer content that obscures sponsorship relationships and portrays unrealistic financial gains — without clearly disclosing that creators are being compensated. A Wall Street Journal investigation found that platforms like Polymarket partnered with paid creators to produce videos that made gambling profits appear routine and attainable, exploiting loopholes in social media moderation guardrails. A national survey by the National Council on Problem Gambling found that more than four in five Americans believe prediction market platforms should be held to consumer protection standards comparable to those applied to gambling.
Under current federal law, prediction market platforms are classified as financial "event contract" markets rather than gambling venues, which allows them to sidestep the consumer protection and advertising disclosure requirements that apply to traditional sports betting and casino gambling. This regulatory gap has enabled aggressive and deceptive marketing — particularly through influencer partnerships — that disproportionately reaches young people. Research from ISD Global documents how these companies exploit influencer channels to circumvent age-related advertising safeguards on major social media platforms.
Congress should act to close this loophole by: (1) directing the FTC to enforce existing endorsement disclosure rules against prediction market and online gambling platforms and their paid influencers; (2) enacting legislation that mandates clear, prominent disclosure of paid sponsorships in all gambling and prediction market advertising; (3) requiring that any depiction of financial outcomes in such advertising accurately reflect typical user results; and (4) prohibiting marketing practices that are designed to target or are likely to reach minors. Representatives Kevin Mullin (CA-15) and Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) have already called on the FTC to investigate these platforms. Congress should build on that momentum with durable statutory protections.
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Live Call Script
Hello, I am an assistant calling on behalf of a constituent, {{first_name}} {{last_name}} from {{city}}, {{state}} zip code {{zip_code}}. The constituent is calling to urge {{representative_name}} to support federal legislation requiring mandatory disclosure of paid sponsorships and accurate depiction of financial outcomes in advertising by prediction market and online gambling platforms, and to strengthen consumer protections against deceptive marketing targeting young people. Prediction market and online gambling companies are paying social media influencers to portray gambling profits as routine and easy — without disclosing the paid relationship. A Wall Street Journal investigation confirmed this practice on platforms like Polymarket. Research shows these influencer campaigns are deliberately structured to bypass age-based advertising safeguards, exposing minors to misleading financial content. Because prediction markets are currently classified as financial "event contract" platforms rather than gambling, they fall outside the consumer protection frameworks that apply to traditional sports betting. This regulatory gap is being actively exploited. The constituent respectfully urges {{representative_name}} to take the following steps: First, support directing the FTC to enforce its existing endorsement disclosure rules against these platforms and their paid influencers. Second, co-sponsor or champion legislation requiring clear, prominent sponsorship disclosures in all prediction market and online gambling advertising. Third, support provisions mandating that any depiction of financial outcomes in such ads accurately reflect typical user results — not cherry-picked wins. And fourth, back prohibitions on marketing practices that target or are foreseeably likely to reach minors. More than four in five Americans support holding prediction market platforms to the same consumer protection standards as gambling. This is a broadly supported, commonsense reform. Will {{representative_name}} commit to supporting this effort?
Voicemail Version
I am calling on behalf of {{first_name}} {{last_name}}, a constituent from {{city}}, {{state}} {{zip_code}}. The constituent is calling to urge {{representative_name}} to support federal legislation requiring mandatory disclosure of paid sponsorships and accurate depiction of financial outcomes in advertising by prediction market and online gambling platforms. These companies are currently exploiting a regulatory loophole to run deceptive influencer marketing campaigns that disproportionately reach young people, without disclosing paid relationships or accurately representing financial risks. The constituent asks that {{representative_name}} support FTC enforcement of existing endorsement rules and champion new statutory protections to close this gap. You may contact me at {{phone_number}} to discuss further.