The SAFE Bet Act (Supporting Affordability & Fairness with Every Bet) has been reintroduced to Congress. Originally introduced last year in September, the SAFE Bet Act intends to bring oversight at the federal level.
At a press conference yesterday, March 11, US Representative Paul Tonko and Senator Richard Blumenthal announced the reintroduction of the bill. The 40-minute conference is available on YouTube in full, as they go into full detail about what they’re trying to curb.
Opening the conference, Rep. Tonko fired a salvo at the gambling industry. He said, “$14 billion in revenue for the gambling industry is $14 billion extracted from the pockets of everyday Americans.
“The even greater concern, and the even greater reality, is that most of that revenue is made off of the suffering of a disproportionately small number of gamblers every year, since the 2018 Supreme Court decision that allowed for the widespread legalization of sports betting.”
SAFE Bet Act tries to help gamblers
Gambling in the US is currently under heavy scrutiny in various states. Some, like New Jersey and Maryland, are currently attempting to stamp out sweepstakes casinos. Others, like Georgia, haven’t even called betting bills to be read.
The SAFE Bet Act is an attempt to regulate gambling to bring more safeguards in for players. In a press release, it’s described as bringing “standards” that “will address advertising, affordability, and artificial intelligence issues.”
It was introduced as the rise of sports betting takes over the US. 39 states now allow for sports betting, but at a federal level, there are protections. The SAFE Bet Act will force Washington to “eliminate the predatory features of current sports betting apps”, among other things.
Unlike Australia, where the comparison between gambling and cigarettes has been downplayed, PHAI President and Professor of Law at Northeastern University, Richard Daynard said in the press release, “Like cigarettes, online sports gambling apps are a highly addictive product designed to entrap consumers into compulsive use, robbing them of free choice as well their money.”
