Representative Paul Tonko and Senator Richard Blumenthal have reintroduced the Supporting Affordability & Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE) Act.
Taking to a stage at a press conference on Capitol Hill, the duo renewed their push for federal sports betting oversight, lambasting the industry for predatory practices and introducing the country to a “gambling addiction crisis.”
Rep. Tonko declared: “We are not here to stop the industry from breaking records, nor are we here to prevent Americans from wagering on sports should they choose to. We’re here today because government, at every level, has failed to pay attention to or understand the impact of gambling-related harms.”
According to industry figures, sports betting operators generated $14 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2024, a 25 percent increase on 2023.
“The industry labels that record number as ‘revenue’ — a number to be celebrated,” Tonko exclaimed. “But the reality is that $14 billion in revenue is $14 billion extracted from the pockets of everyday Americans. Most of that revenue is made of the suffering of a disproportionately small number of gamblers,” he continued.
Blumenthal and Tonko Take Aim at Predatory Sports Betting Practices
Senator Richard Blumenthal was equally critical of the sports betting industry in America. He opened with: “Let’s be very clear, sports betting has become a science. It is the science of exploitation.”
“It is targeting and tracking individuals who are prone to addiction, tracking losers, inducing and enticing them to bet more, and driving them into ruin,” he continued.
The Senator claimed gambling addiction was a public health crisis, and suggested that the SAFE Bet Act would introduce “rules and standards, not prohibition.”
He continued: “We are here on the eve of March Madness, not to prohibit sports betting, but to make it safer,” he said. “The sports betting industry is abhorrently exploiting addiction, purposely and relentlessly, driving people deeper into gambling disorder, which is a disease like all addictions. It should be prevented, not amplified or exploited.”
The SAFE Bet Act also takes aim at technology and predatory marketing practices. The Act failed to gain much traction the last time it was introduced, and a President Trump administration is unlikely to follow a path of prohibition.
Trump’s administration is known to be pro-crypto, but the general trend in gambling legislation at the state level does not bode well for crypto sports betting. Although several states are considering bills to create Bitcoin Strategic Reserves, widening the adoption of digital currencies remains a point of legislative contention.
Blumenthal called AI-driven marketing predatory, stating: “The new technology has opened new vistas for the sports betting industry to exploit addiction and disease. They have the wherewithal to sacrifice a little bit of their profits to make sure that people’s lives are preserved.”
Seeking to Ban Prop Bets, AI Targeting & VIP Programs
The SAFE Bet Act would introduce the following:
- Banning proposition bets and micro-betting, which are “designed to fuel compulsive gambling”
- Creating a national self-exclusion list to help problem gamblers opt out of legal sportsbooks.
- Restricting the use of AI in targeting vulnerable gamblers with promotions and incentives.
- Prohibiting deceptive advertising tactics, particularly those aimed at young people.
- Ending VIP programs and reload bonuses, which “encourage excessive betting.”
- Mandating a Surgeon General’s report on gambling addiction as a public health crisis.
“Sports Leagues Sold Out to Gambling”: Advocates Call for Change
The lawmakers gave the stage to a variety of guests, including recovering addicts, and families of those affected by gambling-related harm.
Andrew Douglas, a recovered gambling addict, attempted to take his own life after being bombarded with gambling promotions and struggling to shake his addiction.
He said: “May 27, 2024, was the day I attempted toe nd my own life. Gambling addiction had a hold on me and had taken me to the darkest hole I could ever imagine.”
“For years and years, I was constantly being targeted, with no way to escape the advertising, the offers, and the predatory business practices. It nearly destroyed me,” Douglas continued.
Harry Levant, a gambling reform advocate, blames the gambling industry for ruining everyday American sports. “Sports once belonged to the American people — to be shared by grandparents, parents and children,” he exclaimed. “Those days are gone. The sports leagues have sold out to the gambling industry. Sports are now the equivalent of a non-stop slot machine where the action never ends.”
Levant went on to compare VIP reward programs and promotional incentives to neighborhood drug dealers, who reward their best customers to ensure they never stop wanting or needing more.
Next, Congress will have to consider the proposed regulation before it moves forward. It’s likely to face vehement opposition from gambling operators, and industry advocates who suggest federal intervention is not necessary to prevent widespread consumer harm.
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