Newsrooms Reaping Gambling Revenue, But At What Cost?

08 October 2026

Financial pressure has driven newsrooms to get creative in monetizing their audience and content. Sports betting partnerships, an emerging form of gambling revenue, are now hotly pursued by publishers looking to diversify.

Subscription and advertising declines are nothing new for publishers, but the pressures have ratcheted up a notch. So in lieu of clickbait listicles, news outlets are serving up the real thing: promo codes for betting platforms like DraftKings.

"Sportsbooks gain customer access cheaper through media partnerships than through ad buys," argues a recent Editor & Publisher report. News organizations are all but advertising sportsbooks as they publish articles about betting sites, full of lucrative offers, but sometimes without clear disclosure.

Editorial Risks in Gambling Partnerships

This widening of sports-related revenue at news outlets comes with significant editorial risks. Can a close partnership with a sportsbook push coverage toward that brand, shape the news, or intimidate reporters? Some journalists fear so.

Danny Funt, a veteran editor now at The Atlantic, says citing prediction market odds can carry journalistic value, like when betting odds predict election outcomes more accurately than polls. But, "The broader pressure," he contends, "is there to affect how we cover events outside elections." Newsroom alliances with betting markets could blur the lines between predicting and wagering on political outcomes.

Details may remain unclear, but industry reports note that CNN, CNBC and Fox News have struck deals with prediction market platforms. As these partnerships grow, they raise concerns from media ethics experts.

"This is problematic," one journalist told Nieman Lab, whose recent report explored the rise and risks of sports betting in newsrooms. "It feels like a race to the bottom, accelerating rapidly."

Analysts note these newsroom relationships function like promotional partnerships, requiring coverage that includes references to betting markets and their odds. Hype for gambling on politics, sports, and entertainment grows accordingly.

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The Business of Betting Content

In short, sports betting is now big business in newsrooms, as major media seize the chance to monetize their audience's passion for gambling. But as industry reports indicate, without clear disclosure or editorial oversight, it risks undermining the fundamental trust that journalism depends on.

This revenue stream is one of several publishers are pursuing in a push for diversification. The trend focuses on moving cash to the bottom line, regardless of source.

A 2023 INMA report on publisher revenue found that alternative digital revenue sources made up 12% of media income, representing billions in potential revenue for publishers willing to explore new streams.

But there's a catch: Those expanding betting coverage face separate challenges. If gambling revenue requires favorable coverage, they risk compromising the editorial standards that build audience trust in the first place.

Newsrooms exploring alternatives might consider live events, premium subscriptions, content licensing, and technology-driven monetization among today's options for sustainable revenue.

Ultimately, no single strategy can compensate for structural challenges. For newsrooms, maintaining editorial independence while exploring new revenue remains crucial. Those establishing clear boundaries around gambling content while strengthening public interest reporting may sustain both revenue and credibility.