U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko is planning to introduce legislation this year that he said would add federal restrictions to the burgeoning “Wild West” mobile sports betting industry.
Tonko, a Democrat from Amsterdam, said that the mobile sports betting industry has been operating in a “largely unregulated environment.”
“You can clearly see this in the wall-to-wall advertisements that you can catch any time you watch a sporting event, or just scrolling through social media,” Tonko said.
The SAFE Bet Act — which stands for the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act — would create a federal ban on sports betting, although states that have legalized the practice can receive exemptions if they have applications approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. The exemptions would last three years before requiring renewal.