Common Sense Media Sponsors Landmark Legislation to Protect Children from Predictive Gambling
SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2025—Common Sense Media announced today it is sponsoring landmark legislation to protect children from the rapidly expanding predictive gambling industry. The bill, AB 2617, the Protecting Our Kids from Gambling Addiction Act, introduced by Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth), would prohibit online gambling operators and predictive market platforms from providing gambling services to minors or advertising those services to them. If enacted, California would become the first state in the nation to expressly protect children from being unlawfully targeted for predictive gambling and give families a private right of action to hold platforms accountable.
Predictive gambling platforms operated by companies like DraftKings and FanDuel allow users to wager real money on the outcomes of sporting events and are actively marketing to Californians on platforms widely used by children, despite the state's ban on sports betting.
"Predictive gambling companies are running the Big Tobacco playbook. They are targeting kids, hooking them young, and betting they'll become lifelong customers," said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. "Our research shows more than a third of boys ages 11 to 17 are already gambling, and most of them didn't go looking for it. It found them. We learned hard lessons from the rise of social media, and we cannot make the same mistakes with online gambling. AB 2617 is exactly the kind of bold, first-in-the-nation action California needs."
Specifically, the Protecting Our Kids from Gambling Addiction Act:
• Prohibits operators from providing gambling or predictive market wagering to minors;
• Makes it unlawful to advertise predictive gambling to individuals that operators know, or should reasonably determine, are minors;
• Requires age assurance before providing gambling services or serving gambling-related advertising;
• Authorizes enforcement by the attorney general and creates a private right of action for affected families.
Common Sense Media's 2026 report, "Betting on Boys: Understanding Gambling Among Adolescent Boys," found that 36% of boys age 11–17 reported gambling activity in the past year. Nearly six in 10 boys exposed to gambling content said it appeared in their feeds without them seeking it out, and six in 10 reported seeing gambling ads on YouTube and social media.
About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the research-backed information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. We rate, educate, and advocate to protect and prepare kids online. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users globally, over 1.4 million educators, and more than 100,000 schools worldwide every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.