Lawmakers Propose Bill to Put Federal Restrictions on Sports Betting, Gambling Ads

If two lawmakers get their way, there will be drastic new regulations on the sports betting industry that will give far more power to federal regulators than the state ones already in place.

ESPN’s John Barr reported Thursday that Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) proposed the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, or SAFE Bet Act.

Barr called them “two of the more vocal critics of the sports betting industry on Capitol Hill,” which is notable since they are calling for a nationwide ban on the current model of sports betting, which would then require the 38 states where it is legal to go through application processes.

The U.S. Attorney General would have the power to grant approvals that would last just three years before the process restarted.

“State regulation is faint-hearted and half-baked. That’s why we need a national standard,” Blumenthal said. “Not to ban gambling but simply to take back control over an industry that is out of bounds.”

Barr listed some of the restrictions that would be put in place if the SAFE Bet Act passed:

• No gambling advertising during live sporting events or between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
• No offering incentives such as “bonus bets” and “no sweat bets”
• Customers will not be allowed to make more than five deposits in 24 hours
• Prop bets in collegiate sports would be banned nationally and not just on a per-state basis
• Artificial intelligence could not be used to track a bettor’s individual gambling habits
• Credit card deposits would be banned
• Gambling companies would be tasked with completing “affordability checks” for those who bet more than $1,000 in 24 hours

The plan was met with plenty of resistance.

“Introducing heavy-handed federal prohibitions is a slap in the face to state legislatures and gaming regulators who have dedicated countless time and resources to developing thoughtful frameworks unique to their jurisdictions,” Chris Cylke, the American Gaming Association’s senior vice president of government relations, said.

Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) also said the SAFE Bet Act was “outdated” and “unwarranted.”

Sports betting continues to become more prevalent in today’s world, and it has generated plenty of headlines. Among those headlines were the NBA banning Jontay Porter, Major League Baseball banning Tucupita Marcano and the investigation into Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

What’s more, NCAA president Charlie Baker called for a ban on all college prop bets in March.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity and competition and leading to student athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” he said in a statement. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

While there may be a push from some to curb the overall prevalence of sports gambling, the SAFE Bet Act will have to overcome opposition and hurdles to become law.