SAFE Bet Act Proposes Federal Standards for Sports Wagering: Mandates State Approval, Consumer Protections, and Addiction Support

The "Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act of 2025" (SAFE Bet Act) aims to establish a baseline set of federal rules for states that decide to legalize sports betting. Essentially, it creates a national framework where states can opt-in by getting their sports wagering programs approved by the U.S. Attorney General. If a state doesn't opt-in or comply, accepting sports bets would generally be prohibited under federal law starting 18 months after the bill passes, though casual bets between friends under state 'social gambling' laws are okay (Sec. 101).

Getting States in the Game

For a state to legally run sports betting, it needs to submit a detailed plan to the Attorney General outlining its laws, regulations, and who's in charge (the "State regulatory entity"). The AG has 180 days to approve or deny the plan based on whether it meets the federal standards laid out in this bill (Sec. 102). Approved programs are good for three years before needing renewal. This means states wanting to offer sports betting will have to align their rules with these new federal minimums.

The New Playbook: What Bettors Need to Know

This is where the bill really digs into the details that affect operators and bettors (Sec. 103). Key requirements for state programs include:

• Age Limit: You must be 21 or older to place a bet.
• Betting Boundaries: Online bets are generally restricted to people physically within the state (or another state/tribal land part of an approved compact), requiring location verification.
• Approved Bets Only: States must approve specific types of wagers. Notably, proposition bets (side bets not on the final outcome) on college sports and amateur games are banned. Betting on events already in progress is also prohibited.
• Data Sources: Initially (until Dec 31, 2025), operators must use official data licensed from sports organizations for settling bets. After that, they can use other approved sources if they're just as fast and accurate.
• Marketing Limits: Ads can't run between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm or during live game broadcasts. They also can't target minors or problem gamblers, feature odds boosts, or tell people how to bet. Ads must clearly identify the operator and include addiction resources.
• Your Money & Your Data: Operators can't force you into publicity to withdraw funds or charge weird fees. They must clearly disclose terms and odds. Crucially, they cannot accept credit card deposits, and you're limited to 5 deposits in 24 hours. If you wager over $1,000 in 24 hours or $10,000 in 30 days, operators must perform an "affordability check" based on typical bank lending standards. They also can't use AI to profile your betting habits for targeted offers or to create specific gambling products like microbets.

Focusing on Health and Integrity

The bill puts a significant emphasis on public health and preventing gambling problems (Title II). It mandates funding from operator revenue for gambling disorder treatment and education (Sec. 103(b)(6)(D)). It also establishes a National Self-Exclusion List (Sec. 202), allowing individuals to ban themselves from betting platforms nationwide. Furthermore, it requires annual national surveys on online sports betting's impact (Sec. 201), a Surgeon General's report on the public health challenges (Sec. 203), and enhanced CDC surveillance of gambling addiction (Sec. 204). To protect game integrity, operators must report suspicious transactions and share anonymized betting data in near real-time with regulators (Sec. 103).

The Bigger Picture: Federal Rules, State Choices

While setting these federal minimums, the bill states it doesn't stop states or tribes from making stricter rules (Sec. 301). It also clarifies how online bets are treated legally when servers are on tribal lands under specific compacts. The overall goal seems to be creating a more uniform, regulated, and potentially safer sports betting landscape across the country, balancing federal oversight with state operation, while adding significant consumer and public health protections.