Blumenthal & Tonko Reintroduce SAFE Bet Act Addressing Sports Gambling

[HARTFORD, CT] — With March Madness set to kick off this weekend, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) reintroduced their Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act, legislation that would create nationwide consumer protections and standards for the mobile sports gambling industry.

The SAFE Bet Act would address the public health implications resulting from the widespread legalization of sports betting in the United States. The legislation would require states offering sports betting to meet minimum federal standards in the categories of marketing, affordability and Artificial Intelligence to create a safer, less addictive product.

“We're introducing this bill just before March Madness for a simple reason: to make sports betting safer and to stop the sports betting industry from abhorrently exploiting addiction. We have seen far too many – especially young people – driven into gambling abuse disorder, which is a disease. Like all addictions, we must take every step to prevent and treat it – not amplify or exploit it. The term March Madness is meant to imply an exuberance and joy as well as enthusiasm, but let's be very clear: sports betting has become a science for gambling entities. It is the science of exploitation and targeting and tracking individuals who are prone to addiction. The science of targeting and tracking gamblers who lose bets and enticing them to bet more and more until they are driven into ruin. That's the abuse that we are trying to stop through the SAFE Bet Act,” Blumenthal said.

“In just a few years, the sports betting industry has become entrenched in every aspect of sports, with every play, pass, pitch, and punt marketed as a moment to bet. We are championing the SAFE Bet Act — not to prevent Americans from wagering on sports should they choose to — but to place commonsense guardrails on the sports betting industry in order to protect our communities from the most devastating impacts of gambling-related harm. Just as the federal government established guidelines with the tobacco or alcohol industry, we must take action to limit the harm of this addictive product. I call on all those who have a stake in the world of sports betting to get behind the SAFE Bet Act and this sound and compassionate public health approach,” Tonko said.

Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision that allowed for the widespread legalization of sports betting, the gambling industry has broken revenue records every year. In 2024, Americans legally wagered a record $147.91 billion on sports, up more than 23 percent from 2022. More than 95 percent of money wagered on sports last year was done online, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).

A fact sheet of the SAFE Bet Act can be found HERE.

Bill text can be found HERE.

Blumenthal and Tonko were joined by the Douglas family, who shared their firsthand experience with gambling addiction, as well as the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law. The full recording of Tuesday’s press conference can be viewed HERE.

-30-