Federal SAFE Bet Act Bans Credit Card Betting, Requires Affordability Checks Over $1,000 Deposits

If you’ve been placing sports bets online, get ready for a major shift in how the game is played—and we’re not talking about the odds. The SAFE Bet Act of 2025 is the federal government’s move to create a national framework for legal sports wagering, effectively replacing the general federal ban with a system where states can opt in, provided they meet a long list of minimum federal standards. Think of it as the federal government saying, “You can play, but only if you follow these rules.” This bill is massive, covering everything from where a digital bet officially takes place to mandatory public health studies on gambling addiction.

The End of the Wild West of Betting Bonuses

For anyone who uses betting apps, the biggest immediate change will be the restrictions on how operators can lure you in. The Act takes a hammer to the incentive structure. First, say goodbye to those ‘reload bonuses’—free money just because your balance is low. Second, the bill restricts ‘tier programs’ and ‘VIP programs’ that reward you for high-volume gambling. Any single reward is capped at just $5, and operators can’t offer rewards or compensation linked to how much you deposit, win, or lose. This is a clear attempt to slow down the high-roller culture and protect people who might be chasing those comps.

Your Wallet and Privacy Under the Microscope

This is where the bill gets real for everyday users juggling finances. Under the new rules (Section 103), operators are banned from accepting deposits made with a credit card. If you’ve been using plastic to fund your weekend bets, that stops immediately. Even more significantly, if you try to deposit more than $1,000 in 24 hours or $10,000 in 30 days, the operator must perform an ‘affordability check.’ This check is satisfied if the deposit is less than 30% of your monthly income, or if the deposit is covered by an unsecured loan verified using a standard bank’s underwriting criteria. For the average person, this means your betting platform could soon be asking for income verification if you hit those thresholds, a major intrusion that aims to prevent people from betting beyond their means.

No More College Prop Bets and Data Wars

The bill also tightens up what you can actually bet on. Operators are now prohibited from accepting proposition bets (side wagers on things other than the final score, like how many yards a player will run) for any amateur or college sports. Furthermore, no bets can be accepted once a sporting event has actually started. This is meant to protect the integrity of college games, but it limits the popular betting options many people currently enjoy. Another major change is how bets are settled: until the end of 2025, operators must use data licensed directly from the sports organizations. After that, they must use a source approved by the state regulator that is deemed just as fast and accurate, signaling a potential shift in the multi-million dollar sports data market.

A New Focus on Public Health and Addiction

Title II is dedicated entirely to the health fallout of widespread betting. It mandates an annual nationwide survey to measure the rates and harms of online sports betting, ensuring the research is conducted independently of the gambling industry (Section 201). Crucially, the Secretary must create a National Self-Exclusion List (Section 202), allowing people to voluntarily ban themselves from betting across all states that opt into the federal program. This is a huge win for those struggling with addiction, giving them a single point of entry to block themselves everywhere. The Surgeon General is also required to issue a report on the public health challenges associated with sports betting within one year of the bill passing (Section 203).

The Catch: Compliance and Costs

While consumers gain significant protections, the cost and complexity for operators are enormous. They must now perform annual background checks on all employees, retain detailed records (including verified Social Security numbers and bet outcomes) for five years for every account holder, and share anonymized betting data with the state regulator in real-time. Moreover, the bill requires operators to set aside an “appropriate percentage” of their revenue for gambling disorder treatment and responsible gaming education. The term “appropriate percentage” is vague (Section 103), leaving the door open for regulators to define this crucial funding metric later. The industry will also be required to assist the federal government in shutting down illegal, offshore betting sites (Section 302), adding a new layer of mandatory enforcement cooperation.