Lawmaker Calls on US Sports Leagues to Back SAFE Bet Act

The SAFE Bet Act is back in the headlines after the latest NBA scandal.

US Representative Paul Tonko has sent a letter to the country’s sports leagues this week. He is asking them to support his SAFE Bet Act, which would implement increased federal regulations on the sports betting industry. If they don’t, Tonko warned, they will be assuming full responsibility for future betting scandals. 

“The choice before you is now explicit,” Tonko’s letter to the leagues states. “Either engage directly with Congress to establish mandatory federal guardrails that restore integrity and protect the public, or stand in opposition and accept responsibility when the next scandal breaks and more families and lives are destroyed.”

The bill has been making the rounds in Washington, D.C., for over a year, but failed to garner the support needed to pass. Many lawmakers believed the regulations were heavy-handed, but that may be changing given the scandals uncovered over the last year.

The SAFE Bet Act remains a long shot to pass, but support from the country’s top sports leagues would significantly improve its odds. 

Leagues Face a Crucial Choice

Tonko’s words don’t carry weight on their own, but they do highlight a crucial choice that the country’s sports leagues must face.

Currently, pro sports leagues and teams have signed massive deals with sportsbooks. They now have official betting partners, who can advertise in-game and on TV. That new revenue stream has been an enormous boost for those leagues, but at what cost?

With the latest NBA scandals, the public is growing increasingly wary of the integrity of the sports they are watching. That will not only lead to fewer wagers being placed but also to fewer fans attending games.

This is forcing leagues to make a crucial choice. Do they continue their partnerships and support for sports betting, or risk losing everything? Or do they back the SAFE Bet Act and see their new revenue streams disappear?