DEATH BETS Act
Sponsored By: Representative Levin
Introduced
Summary
Bans derivatives that let people bet on terrorism, assassination, war, or an individual's death. This bill would add a new rule to the Commodity Exchange Act that stops registered trading venues from listing or clearing contracts tied to violent events or a person's death, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission deciding what falls inside the ban.
Show full summary
- Registered entities would be barred from listing or accepting for clearing any contract based on an "excluded commodity" that the Commission finds involves terrorism, assassination, war, or similar activity. This limits products exchanges and clearinghouses can offer.
- Traders and product designers would not be able to create or trade contracts that reference an individual's death or closely correlate to it. This closes a potential avenue for betting on personal tragedies.
- Regulators would get the authority to define which contracts are covered, since the ban depends on the Commission's determinations and the statutory "excluded commodity" definition.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Ban on death and war bets
This bill would bar registered exchanges and clearinghouses from listing or clearing certain contracts. It would prohibit agreements, contracts, transactions, or swaps based on an "excluded commodity" that reference an individual's death. It would also bar instruments that reference terrorism, assassination, war, or similar events as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission determines. The rule would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Levin
CA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov