The NBA, MLB and NHL have teamed with four sportsbook operators and a gambling help center on a new commercial promoting responsible betting.

“Never Know What’s Next” will air during tonight’s NBA In-Season Tournament game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers on TNT. The spot, from Chemistry, will also appear on NBA, MLB and NHL social platforms. 

The message comes as sports increasingly rely on advertising support from sportsbook companies as sports gambling has been legalized in 38 states and Washington DC. The industry this month absorbed a powerful new player when ESPN took over from Barstool Sports as Penn Entertainment’s sportsbook partner and began integrating ESPN Bet into its programming. Over the summer, Fanatics took over its larger rival PointsBet.

ESPN Bet, DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel, along with the National Council on Problem Gambling, are supporting “Never Know What’s Next,” which uses highlights from NBA, MLB and NHL games to demonstrate the unpredictability of sports. “Every play, every shot, every swing is a risk if you bet,” a voiceover says. “There’s no easy money, there’s no lock and no one wins all the time.”  

The NFL is noticeably absent from the effort. “The NFL has been focused on responsible gaming for years—this is nothing new for us and frankly we have taken a leadership role in this area,” a spokesman said in emailed remarks. “This has included our own national campaign—now in its 2nd year, a massive funding for the NCPG [National Council of Problem Gambling], and working with our sports betting partners to make this a priority.”

The campaign directs fans to the National Council on Problem Gambling’s website providing resources for fans to learn more about responsible gaming. 

“Working with our fellow sports leagues, gaming operator partners, and responsible gaming partners gives added weight—particularly for young bettors—to this shared priority of making an impact on responsible gaming education across the United States,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA senior VP and head of gaming & new business ventures, in a press release.  “Ensuring fans are aware of the inherent risk if they choose to bet and correcting the misconception that betting on sports is a good way to make money are integral to the NBA’s approach to legal sports betting.”

Sports leagues have rules that restrict their players from gambling. The NHL, which prohibits players from betting on NHL games and empowers league Commissioner Gary Bettman to discipline players for other off-ice conduct, suspended Shane Pinto of the Ottawa Senators in October for 41 games—half of the season—for “activities relating to sports wagering.” The league said it found no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games but did not provide additional detail on the suspension. Pinto did not appeal the suspension as part of an agreement between him, the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL.

The NBA similarly prohibits players from wagering on league games, with penalties set by the commissioner.

MLB’s gambling policy includes a one-year suspension for players gambling on baseball and a lifetime suspension for players who place a bet on a game in which they compete. Club officials and umpires are also subject to discipline for wagering on baseball.

The NFL prohibits players from wagering on league games as well as placing bets in the workplace. The NFL announced this summer that it had suspended Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts and free agent Demetrius Taylor at least through the end of 2023 season for violating its gambling policy. Nicholas Petit-Frere of the Tennessee Titans missed the first six games of this season for violating the league’s workplace betting rule.

Sports gambling sites are significant advertisers. DraftKings reported sales and marketing expenses of $965 million in 2022 and $910 million through the first three quarters of 2023, an 8.2% increase from the same period last year. Flutter Entertainment, the parent of U.S. brands FanDuel, TVG, Fox Bet and Poker Stars, spent $1.19 billion on U.S. sales and marketing in 2022 and $597 million through the first half of this year.

“This campaign continues our ongoing commitment to educating fans about the importance of responsible betting,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL chief business officer, in a press release.  “With more fans than ever having the opportunity to legally bet in their home states, it is imperative that we work with our media and sportsbook partners, as well as with our friends at the NBA and MLB, to inform and emphasize the risks and encourage the importance of setting limits and betting responsibly, especially among our growing fanbase in the younger demographic.”