SAFE Bet Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
Introduced
Summary
A federal floor of minimum standards for sports wagering would protect consumers and safeguard contest integrity. The bill would set licensing and oversight rules for operators, require state opt-in programs, and expand national public-health tracking.
Show full summary
- Families and bettors would get stronger consumer protections including a national self-exclusion list, deposit limits of 5 per 24 hours, a ban on credit-card deposits, explicit withdrawal safeguards, and affordability checks for wagers over $1,000 in 24 hours or $10,000 in 30 days.
- States, tribes, and operators would face new licensing and suitability rules, annual background checks for staff, reserve requirements to cover patron funds and pending payouts, five-year recordkeeping of wagers, real-time anonymized data reporting to regulators, and civil penalties up to the greater of $10,000 or three times a wager.
- Public-health authorities would run an annual national survey on online sports betting starting within one year, create an improved gambling addiction surveillance system, and the Surgeon General must report on related public-health challenges within one year.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
Stronger rules to protect sports bettors
This bill would set clear rules to protect people who bet on sports. Companies would have to show bonus terms and the real odds before you bet, and let you cancel for free after seeing the odds. Ads would have limits: no odds boosts, no how‑to‑bet tips, no targeting problem gamblers or people under 21, and no broadcast ads from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm local time or during live games. You could add yourself to a national or State self‑exclusion list, and operators would have to block your bets. You could not make more than five deposits in 24 hours, and no deposits by credit card. If your activity would top $1,000 in 24 hours or $10,000 in 30 days, the operator would need to check you can afford it (for example, that a deposit is no more than 30% of monthly income or via a lender‑style check).
Federal ban and fines for illegal betting
This bill would make it illegal to accept sports bets unless you are a licensed operator in an opt‑in State or covered by a State social gambling law. That ban would start 18 months after enactment. Violators could face a civil penalty for each illegal bet of up to the greater of $10,000 or three times the bet amount. The Attorney General could sue in federal court to stop violations. States and licensed operators would need to quickly send cease‑and‑desist orders to offshore sites the Attorney General names.
Servers on Tribal land set jurisdiction
For online bets, the wager would count as made where the accepting server or equipment is located. If the server is on Indian lands, the bet and server are in the same State, and a Tribal‑State compact authorizes interactive betting, the wager would be treated as occurring exclusively on Indian lands.
More help and tracking for problem gambling
If enacted, operators would have to set aside part of revenue for gambling treatment and responsible gaming education. The Secretary would run a national survey within 1 year and every year after to measure gambling harms, using qualified researchers and the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The CDC would build a national system to track gambling addiction, with public access where allowed and privacy safeguards. The Surgeon General would send Congress a report on public‑health risks from sports betting within 1 year.
Tougher licensing and hiring for operators
If enacted, States would license operators and judge suitability after full background checks on the applicant and people in control, including the CEO and key executives. States could deny or revoke licenses for false statements, serious crimes, unpaid taxes, or ties to illegal internet gambling since October 13, 2006. Operators would also need annual criminal background checks for all employees and contractors and could not employ anyone convicted of a sports‑wagering crime.
States need federal OK to run betting
A State would have to apply to the U.S. Attorney General to run a sports‑betting program. The AG would have 180 days to approve a complete application unless standards are not met, and the State must report big changes within 30 days. Approvals would last three years and renewals follow the same review. The AG would set rules for emergency revocation and for administrative reviews.
Protect customer data and account funds
Operators would have to keep a record for each wager for at least five years. Records include name, address, birth date, and SSN or passport (verified) when required, plus bet amount, time, location/IP, and outcome. The ID rule would not apply to non‑account bets at or under $10,000 when the operator does not know daily totals over $10,000 and no W‑2G is required. Operators would report suspicious transactions to State regulators and federal law enforcement, share anonymized wager data with the State within 24 hours, and secure data against unauthorized access. Operators would also have to keep a reserve at least equal to customer balances, unsettled bets, and owed winnings during the honoring period.
Rules for data used to settle bets
Through December 31, 2025, operators would need to use results data from the sports organization or its authorized provider. For bets after that date, States would have to approve other sources that are legally obtained, expressly authorized, identified in the State’s application, and match the speed and accuracy of official data.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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