# Plain Language Summary: SAFE Bet Act of 2025

This bill creates a federal framework for regulating sports betting across the United States. Right now, sports betting is largely illegal at the federal level, though some states have created their own systems. This bill would establish minimum national standards that states must follow if they want to allow sports betting within their borders, while also giving states flexibility to set their own rules as long as they meet these federal requirements.

The core of the bill works like this: sports betting would remain illegal everywhere except in states that officially opt in and create a regulated sports betting program. If a state wants to allow sports betting, it would need to set up a regulatory system, license betting operators (like casinos and online platforms), and follow specific federal standards. These standards include requirements to prevent fraud, protect consumers from problem gambling, and keep sports betting away from people who shouldn't be betting—like athletes, coaches, and referees involved in the sports being wagered on. The bill also allows Native American tribes to operate sports betting under similar rules.

The bill includes significant protections focused on public health and preventing problem gambling. It requires states to maintain a national self-exclusion list so people struggling with gambling addiction can voluntarily ban themselves from betting across state lines. The government would also conduct annual surveys to track gambling addiction rates and require the Surgeon General to issue reports on the public health impacts of sports betting. Additionally, the bill prohibits certain types of bets that might encourage excessive gambling, like allowing people to bet on individual plays within a game using credit or loans. Sports betting operators would be required to report suspicious betting patterns that might indicate cheating or match-fixing to state regulators and sports organizations.

For most Americans, this bill means that if you live in a state that chooses to allow sports betting, you could legally place bets through licensed operators—either in person at casinos or online through mobile apps. However, if your state opts out, sports betting would remain illegal there. The bill also protects people who want help with gambling problems by making it easier to self-exclude across multiple platforms and states, and it aims to prevent the integrity of sports from being compromised by keeping people with inside information from betting on games.

SAFE Bet Act of 2025

Tonko, Paul

Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act of 2025 or the SAFE Bet Act of 2025This bill establishes minimum federal standards for sports betting. It also requires federal agencies to evaluate the effects of sports betting on public health.The bill prohibits sports betting unless conducted through an approved state program; violations are subject to civil penalties.&nbsp;States administering a sports betting program must obtain approval of the program every three years from the Department of Justice (DOJ).In providing approval or renewal, DOJ must determine&nbsp;that the state’s program meets minimum standards specified in the bill, including<ul><li>designating a state regulatory entity to regulate sports betting operators and enforce state laws,</li><li>prohibiting operators from marketing during live broadcasts of sporting events,</li><li>prohibiting betting by individuals under 21 or members of sports organizations,</li><li>implementing affordability protections such as certain deposit limits and income verification,</li><li>requiring operators to allocate funding for treatment and education on gambling disorders, and</li><li>facilitating a state self-exclusion list (and a national list in coordination with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) so individuals may voluntarily restrict or place limits on their sports betting.&nbsp;</li></ul>Also, the bill requires various federal agencies to expand surveillance of gambling addiction, conduct a nationwide survey annually on the harm caused by online sports betting, and report to Congress on public health challenges related to sports betting.