U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Richard Blumenthal have introduced the Gaming Advertisement to Minors Enforcement Act of 2026. The bill would stop large digital platforms from showing targeted sports gambling ads to people under 18.
The proposal covers sportsbooks and services marketed as prediction markets. If passed, it would take effect one year after enactment and give federal regulators a new role in policing youth exposure to gambling ads.
FTC would enforce the rules
The Federal Trade Commission would lead enforcement. Violations would be treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act, allowing the agency to seek penalties and court orders.
Repeat violations could bring higher fines. After three enforcement actions or settlements, a case could be referred to the Department of Justice, with penalties of up to $100,000 for each targeted gambling ad shown to a minor.
The bill would apply to large social media platforms, search engines, public websites, mobile apps and digital advertising platforms with more than 100 million monthly users or visitors. It targets ads served through personal data, browsing behaviour, inferred interests, device identifiers or similar tracking signals.
Prediction markets are included
The bill also reaches beyond traditional sportsbooks. It covers services marketed as allowing users to invest in prediction markets linked to sports events. That brings platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket into the same advertising debate as licensed betting operators. Both have drawn more attention as event-contract markets expand into sports.
Britt and Blumenthal framed the bill around children being exposed to gambling content through social media and algorithmic feeds. Their announcement cited research linking gambling before age 18 with a higher risk of gambling problems later in life.
Some ads would still be allowed
The bill does not ban all online gambling advertising. It focuses on targeted ads shown to minors through data-driven delivery. Ads shown in direct response to a user request would be excluded. Contextual ads based only on the content of a webpage or app would also stay outside the ban, along with data use for ad measurement and reporting.
Platforms would face new reporting pressure
The bill arrives during a wider political focus on gambling ads, youth exposure and sports betting growth. Lawmakers have been looking more closely at how betting brands use social platforms, influencers, promotions and app notifications to reach younger audiences.
The GAME Act would also require the FTC to report to Congress on its enforcement work. That report would cover complaints received, actions taken and any patterns the agency sees in targeted gambling advertising to minors.
FTC report would track enforcement
The GAME Act would require the FTC to submit a report to Congress within two years of the law taking effect. The report would cover complaints, enforcement actions and settlements linked to targeted gambling ads shown to minors.
The report would also review how platforms are using age data, ad-targeting tools and user information when serving gambling promotions. That would help lawmakers better understand how under-18 users see betting and prediction market ads online.
