Congressman Paul D. Tonko (D-New York) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) have reintroduced the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act (the SAFE Bet Act). The Act was first introduced in September 2024 and is being reintroduced to put additional safeguards in place to protect players from addictive gambling tactics.
The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law has thrown its support behind the Act and suggests that the partnership between domestic sportsbooks, sports broadcasters, and professional franchises has resulted in a constant barrage of gambling ads and has caused a public health crisis.
“Once unthinkable partnerships between the gambling industry, professional and collegiate sports, broadcast media, and technology companies have resulted in the delivery of non-stop gambling action on virtually every phone, tablet, computer, and television”
Dr. Harry Levant – Director of Gambling Policy at PHAI
Gambling addiction is a legitimate problem in the United States and can push individuals and families into financial ruin. Legislation for sports betting in all 39 states where sports betting is legal has included language to address problem gaming.
All players involved know that sports betting’s addictive qualities are a serious issue that needs addressing. Still, Representative Tonko and Senator Blumenthal do not feel that the policies in place are doing enough to prevent it.
“Gambling is a known addictive product, and the 2025 SAFE Bet Act protects the public by replacing the ethically flawed ‘responsible gaming’ model with comprehensive public health solutions designed to prevent gambling-related harm.”
Dr. Harry Levant
The act will task the federal government to minimize local sportsbooks’ constant access to their members. One issue Tonko and Blumenthal are targeting is advertising.
Players are often tempted by sports betting bonuses that award them extra cash to gamble with when they make a deposit into their accounts. These ads are present in radio commercials, emails, social media, texts, and billboards.
The SAFE Bet Act aims to reign in these aggressive methods and create a nationwide framework that improves upon the policies that each state has created.
Another component that the SAFE Act wants to eliminate is the use of artificial intelligence to target potential gamblers. Some domestic operators utilize AI to track gamblers’ activities, making targeted advertisements more effective.
Another element would restrict player deposits to five per day.
The local sportsbook industry is lobbying hard on the other side of the issue, making the passage of the act uncertain at this point.
The National Institutes of Health and National Council on Problem Gambling estimate that 7 million Americans currently suffer from problem gaming addiction. 20% of that population has attempted suicide.
Sources:
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