Published on: May 18, 2026, 02:21h.
Updated on: May 18, 2026, 02:21h.
- The GAME Act aims to criminalize the acceptance of ads directed at minors by major social media platforms regarding sports betting products.
- This legislation would also prevent prediction markets from engaging in advertising targeted at minors.
A recent bill introduced in Congress is designed to mitigate sports betting advertisements aimed at children in the digital space.
On Monday, Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement Act, known as the GAME Act. This bill seeks to ban social media platforms and specific online applications from displaying ads promoting sports betting products to minors.
“The surge in sports betting among minors, especially among young boys, is alarming,” commented Britt. “Our proposed legislation is a vital step in addressing this issue before it escalates.”
If passed, the GAME Act would empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to impose fines up to $100,000 for each instance of advertising targeting minors with sports betting content. Noncompliance could also lead to court-ordered injunctions.
In addition to social media, the bill would cover digital advertising platforms, including websites and online services that generate revenue from ads and have over 100 million unique monthly users or visitors.
Prediction Markets Included
The legislation will also impact prediction markets, which are federally overseen trading platforms. Recently, platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have allowed trading on sports outcomes.
According to Britt and Blumenthal, a “sports gambling platform” encompasses “any service marketed as facilitating investment in prediction markets.”
“We recognize that targeted ads from gambling and prediction markets can act as gateways to harmful behaviors that often lead to serious gambling addictions,” Britt added.
“Sportsbooks and prediction markets are exploiting young individuals, inundating the internet with ads and promotions to entice them into gambling at a young age,” Blumenthal expressed. “High schoolers and even middle schoolers are now gambling on their devices more than ever, losing real money and fostering life-changing addictions.”
Britt reflected on her childhood, stating that it was a time when parents didn’t have to be overly concerned about their children’s safety at home.
“In this digital era, that’s unfortunately no longer true—dangers can infiltrate our homes directly through the devices our children use,” Britt added. “Youth gambling addictions may be developing under parents’ roofs without their awareness, emphasizing the need for legislation to assist parents in protecting their children.”
Legislative Overview
The rapid growth of prediction markets has prompted several legislative proposals in Congress. In addition to the GAME Act, other measures include:
- BETS Off Act — Proposed by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Representative Greg Casar (D-TX), this act mandates the CFTC to prevent prediction markets from offering trading contracts connected to “government actions, terrorism, war, assassination, or events where an individual knows or controls the outcome.”
- PREDICT Act — Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) and Adrian Smith (R-AZ) advocate for excluding members of Congress and their staffers, along with lobbyists and other insiders from participating in prediction markets.
- DEATH Bets Act — Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Mike Levin (D-CA) propose requiring the CFTC to prohibit any contract associated with war, terrorism, assassination, or similar “death” events.
- Prediction Markets Security and Integrity Act — Proposed by Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Blumenthal, this act seeks to make it illegal for a CFTC-regulated prediction market to offer betting on sports events.
- Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act — Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Blumenthal aim to ban any casino-style trading, including sports, on prediction markets.