New Federal Bill to be Introduced + Possible Congressional Hearing

The bill covers restrictions on how U.S. sportsbooks can use AI technology, limits on advertising, mandating affordability checks, banning the use of credit cards, and creating a national self-exclusion registry (see one-pager released by Tonko’s office).

It is a very low probability that legislation can be enacted in this current Congress. However, more than substance, it brings negative attention to our sector and could have trickle down affects on state policy efforts for not just sports betting, but also iGaming.

Possible Congressional Hearing

Rumors have been circulating for several months regarding a Congressional hearing on sports betting to address its impact on college athletes, advertising, problem gambling, etc. We now understand that the Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to hold this hearing. Timing is still unclear with the upcoming elections and other Congressional priorities this Fall. We caution that the introduction of the SAFE Bet Act could generate momentum for this hearing to happen sooner than later.

We will be following these developments closely and will provide updates as needed. If our members have federal lobbyists who are engaging directly on these issues, iDEA stands ready to support you by providing data and information, and by attending meetings to present a broader industry perspective.

If you have any questions, please reach out to John Pappas (jpappas@ideagrowth.org).