The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will evaluate the SAFE Bet Act (Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act) on December 17, addressing concerns about the rapid expansion of legalized sports betting.

Key provisions of the SAFE Bet Act include:

• Ban on sports betting advertisements between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. and during live sports
• Prohibition of marketing terms like "risk-free bets" and deposit bonuses
• Restrictions on AI-tailored promotions
• Mandatory affordability checks
• Limit of five deposits per 24 hours
• Ban on credit card use for online betting

Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who introduced the bill in September, argue that federal intervention is necessary due to excessive gambling industry influence in sports.

The American Gaming Association opposes the legislation, stating that states have already implemented sufficient consumer protections and that federal intervention undermines state regulatory frameworks.

The Supreme Court's 2018 decision to overturn PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) allowed states to legalize sports betting. Since then, 39 states and Washington, D.C. have authorized sports gambling, with each jurisdiction developing its own regulatory framework.

While Congress has the authority to regulate sports gambling directly, it has not intervened since the SCOTUS ruling. The upcoming Judiciary Committee hearing, titled "America's High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling," will evaluate whether federal oversight is necessary in an industry currently regulated at the state level.

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