During a Wednesday hearing on Capitol Hill, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) addressed the rising number of minors taking part in gambling and sports betting activities across the United States.
The legislator made her latest remarks on the topic while speaking to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
"In 2024, a study found that individuals who began gambling before the age of 18 are 50% more likely to develop an addiction to gambling," explained Britt. "This has become a major issue among America's youth, in particular, America's young men."
"Just last year, in the Northern District of Alabama, we saw a case where 10 men pleaded guilty to managing a sports betting operation and accepted over $2 billion in wagers via an offshore server located in Costa Rica," she added.
Britt referenced legislation she recently introduced with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) aimed at limiting the exposure of minors to online gambling-related advertisements on social media and other advertising websites.
"Senator Blumenthal and I have worked together on this issue and recently introduced the GAME Act, which would prohibit social media companies and advertising websites from targeting minors with sports betting advertising online. We also sent a letter to DOJ encouraging the department to use its existing statutory authorities to pursue injunctive relief and to block illegal offshore gaming operations," added Britt.
Under the GAME Act, repeat offenders may be referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which may impose a financial penalty of up to $100,000 for each advertisement that promotes sports gambling and is shown to a minor. In cases where thousands of advertisements are shown to minors, the financial penalties could become substantial.
America’s children should not be gambling. That’s why I’m proud to lead the bipartisan GAME Act with @SenBlumenthal to help protect minors from targeted sports betting advertisements. I appreciate @DAGToddBlanche’s commitment today to combating illegal offshore gambling… pic.twitter.com/Te09VF3Wjp
— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) July 15, 2026
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter to get our top stories every day or become a member to access exclusive content.
