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- Lawmakers Richard Blumenthal and Paul Tonko renewed their push for federal gambling reform by promoting the SAFE Bet Act.
- They also backed separate legislation proposing strict federal consumer protections and state-level oversight for the growing prediction market sector.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Paul Tonko on Thursday renewed their push for federal gambling reform, backing legislation aimed at tighter consumer protections for sportsbooks and online prediction markets.
The two Democrats appeared in Washington, DC, with the Public Health Advocacy Institute and Families and Friends of Gamblers to launch a campaign called “Truth and Integrity: The Movement for Gambling Reform.” The effort comes as sports betting and prediction markets continue to expand and as lawmakers debate whether state oversight is enough.
Lawmakers back two gambling reform bills
Blumenthal and Tonko are promoting the SAFE Bet Act, which would place federal guardrails on state-licensed sportsbooks. According to the source report, those measures would include deposit and bet limits and regular affordability checks.
They are also supporting the Prediction Markets Security & Integrity Act, a separate proposal that would create federally mandated consumer protections for online prediction markets and move oversight from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to individual states.
At the event, Dr. Harry Levant, who leads the PHAI’s gambling policy work, said, “There is overwhelming evidence that we are in the midst of a mental health and public health crisis related to gambling addiction.”
Blumenthal sharply criticized the industry, saying, “We know that the gambling industry, which includes not only DraftKings and FanDuel but also the prediction markets, is exploiting problem gambling. They are relentlessly and tirelessly taking advantage of vulnerability to make more money.”
Industry groups push back on federal intervention
The reform push is already drawing opposition from major industry stakeholders.
The American Gaming Association opposes federal intervention and argues that state regulators, not Washington, are best positioned to oversee gambling. Prediction market companies are also resisting the proposal, arguing that their products should not be treated as gambling and are better understood as financial investing mechanisms.
Tonko voiced full support for Levant and the broader campaign, saying, “Together, we’re going to make this happen. We have to.” He also said, “It is important for us to take a known addictive product and make that product a safer product.”
What comes next in Congress
What happens next is still unclear. The source report did not specify when either bill could move forward in Congress or which committees will take them up first.
For operators including FanDuel and DraftKings, and for prediction market platforms, the proposals are worth watching because they would change how consumer protections are set and enforced if enacted. For now, the immediate development is political: two longtime gambling critics are trying to build momentum for a new federal standards debate as the market continues to grow.
Source: As reported by casino.org.
