2021 Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay

In January/February of 2021, It’s a Penalty completed our 2021 campaign ahead of Super Bowl LV alongside our founding partner A21, and major partners NFL Foundation, Hilton Worldwide and Rescue:Freedom International; supported by Tampa International Airport, Uber, End It, Rahab’s Daughters, In Our Backyard and SOAP.

The campaign was made possible by the Super Bowl Host Committee, the Hillsboro County Commission on Human Trafficking, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFL, and in partnership with local, state and federal agencies including the state attorney in Tampa, Florida’s Attorney General, local trafficking task forces, and hundreds of local volunteers.

Large events, such as the Super Bowl, can lead to increased instances of human trafficking due to a high influx of visitors. And when it comes to the prevalence of commercial sex industries, Tampa rivals Las Vegas. The New York Daily News has called Tampa the “strip club capital” of the country.

Human trafficking is a major issue in Tampa Bay and the U.S.:

Children as young as 12 years old are being sold for sex in Tampa Bay, Florida, where the area’s tourism industry, adult entertainment industry and international seaports and airports create a lucrative, and highly accessible, environment for minor sex-traffickers.

More than 100,000 children are sold for sex in the U.S. each year.

83% of sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are U.S. citizens.

Tampa, Florida ranks 12th of all American cities for the number of calls per capita to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (Polaris).

Tampa's large population of runaways is also a growing contributor to the problem. Studies have shown that one of six runaways will be lured by a sex trafficker and forced into prostitution within 48 hours of being on his or her own (NCMEC).

Florida as a state has the third highest rate of human trafficking cases reported (Polaris).

The It’s a Penalty Campaign goals were to:

EDUCATE

EDUCATE

sports fans and the general public about what human trafficking is, the penalties for offenders and how to #KNOWTHESIGNS of exploitation and human trafficking.

EQUIP

EQUIP

sports fans and the general public with ways to report anything suspicious.

ENCOURAGE

ENCOURAGE

If you SUSPECT IT? REPORT IT! and encourage victims to speak up.

We believe that sport is a force for good. The It’s a Penalty Campaign harnessed Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV as a powerful platform to encourage millions of people in the run-up to and during the event to help raise awareness by standing up against human trafficking & exploitation.

High-profile American Football players, including Chris Godwin and Will Gholston, from the hosting team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton, Benjamin Watson, and Nick Foles delivered an impactful message on our 30-second campaign film.

CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

Download our Tampa Impact Report

30 SEC-FILM

AWARENESS ACTIVITIES

The 30-second Campaign film featuring NFL players can be seen:

Inflight on American Airlines and Southwest Airlines planes during January and beginning of February
At Tampa International Airport in January and early February
At Miami International Airport in January and early February
On It’s a Penalty’s social channels as well as our Partners

44 Hilton brand hotels will receive posters, leaflets, business cards, and hand sanitizer pens. Staff will also receive posters of missing children – start date 30th January, 2021

Uber – 2,500 cars will display rearview tags with national US hotline (Polaris) and local reporting hotline (Tampa Bay)

It’s a Penalty, in partnership with A21 will train hundreds of Uber drivers in early January

It’s a Penalty, in partnership with A21 will train hundreds of volunteers on how to identify and report human trafficking.

On the 30th January, volunteers, in cooperation with NO MORE and the SOAP Project will assemble awareness kits containing campaign materials (including posters, leaflets, hand sanitizers, and a NCMEC list of missing children), as well as bars of soap with hotline information printed on them to distribute to 280 hotels and motels in the tri-county area of Hillsboro, Pinellas and Pasco.

On the 30th of January, volunteers, in cooperation with NO MORE and In Our Backyard will distribute materials and NCMEC missing children’s booklets to convenience stores across the entire Tampa Bay region.