The National Football League (NFL) has modified their longstanding playoff and Super Bowl advertising policies and will permit ads for tourist and gambling destination cities such as Las Vegas. They, however, continue to prohibit ads for specific hotel - casinos and any reference or imagery related to gambling including a wide shot image of the Las Vegas strip. The NFL has always resisted any association with gambling in commercials during game telecasts. The new policies will be in effect for postseason NFL playoff games and the Super Bowl from Jan 3 through Feb 28, 2010. Content of any ads must comply with network standards and practices and must meet NFL standards for a mass audience.
NFL logo and photo courtesy NFL and Sports Illustrated, respectively
Advertising for Vegas tourism promoting golf, swimming pools, and entertainers will be allowed. No dice, no card games, slot machines, or individual casino promotion images will be tolerated under the new guidelines. Online Vegas travel website Vegas.com president and CEO Howard Lefkowitz still says " We're very excited about this window of opportunity. NFL fans come to Vegas and Vegas fans are NFL fans". Rossi Ralenkotter, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority , said their group plans to evaluate available ad slots and their budget and will likely place promotional ads during the games.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the NFL considers the new guidelines as " a reasonable policy that still protects our interests". These allowed changes conjure up thoughts of money from sports betting and advertising and the NFL's somewhat disingenuous position regarding the existence of sports gambling and how much revenue that entity puts cash in it's thick pockets. On the other hand, this allowance has got to be a positive for Las Vegas and it's tourism promotion efforts, which is of course also about money after all the fodder is filtered. It's just business and free market capitalism in action and intent..and likely a good thing.
Cheers...
Charles Higgins
Comments
Didn't know they weren't allowed to advertise. I learn something every day.
It should be interesting to see how they advertise Vegas without showing the casinos.
Love this article, because I know you caught this one...they're allowed to advertise golf but not gambling. Seems to me that lately advertising gambling is a little bit safer than talking about golf ;>
These days, Las Vegas has a lot more than gambling. I still can't get my mind around Vegas as a family destination, but it has expanded its appeal.
The key word is disingenuous. You could also add self denial, puritanical, squeamish, and a whole lot of other adjectives. I haven't been to any sports bars lately in San Diego, but I'll bet, of course, if betting were allowed here, that 95% of those watching the game, have ramped up their involvement in the outcome of the game with a little wager. So it goes. Love your writing. You always nail it.
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