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Read Full BioRep. Paul Tonko has weighed in on the NBA betting scandal by sending a strongly worded warning to major sports leagues: support my legislation, or “accept responsibility when the next scandal breaks and more families and lives are destroyed.”
Tonko sent the letters to the NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS, and NWSL. The letters call on the leagues to back federal regulation of sports betting through his SAFE BET Act, introduced earlier this year.
Tonko references the NBA betting scandal as “the foreseeable consequence of professional sports leagues entangling their competitions with a rapidly expanding, barely regulated gambling marketplace.”
He goes on to promote his bill as the solution to a wide range of problems that he feels sports betting has brought about, including:
- A documented surge in sports-betting addiction among young men, including minors
- A spike in bankruptcy, family collapse, and suicide linked to gambling losses
- Constant, high-pressure marketing aimed at vulnerable populations
- A rapidly widening pipeline of new gamblers driven by league-authorized promotion
The letter states, “My SAFE Bet Act would impose minimum federal standards including advertising limits, data and integrity protections, public health safeguards, and transparency measures that no league has been willing to adopt on its own.”
SAFE BET Act Proposes Extensive Changes to Sports Betting
Tonko, along with Senator Richard Blumenthal, reintroduced the SAFE BET Act earlier this year. The lawmakers timed the reintroduction to coincide with the start of March Madness, in a bid to gain support for the legislation.
The bill was initially introduced in 2024 but did not gain enough momentum and died in committee at the end of that session. Since its reintroduction in March, it has remained in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tonko has sensed an opportunity to increase momentum behind the proposal as public opinion turns negative following the arrests of NBA players and coaches alongside Mafia families.
The SAFE BET Act proposes sweeping changes to sports betting rules, including:
- Federal Oversight: Sets national standards and requires states to get certification from the U.S. Attorney General.
- Advertising Limits: Proposes a ban on gambling ads during live sports and misleading or youth-targeted promotions.
- Product Restrictions: Prohibits micro-bets and prop bets on college sports.
- Spending Controls: Imposes deposit limits and restrictions on credit-card use.
- National Self-Exclusion List: Establishes a nationwide register that allows players to block themselves from betting.
- AI and Marketing Rules: Bans the use of AI and behavioral targeting in gambling promotions.
- Data Reporting: Requires operators to share spending and responsible-gaming data with federal regulators.
- Enforcement Powers: Allows the DOJ to fine or suspend states and operators that fail to comply.
Politicians Weigh In Amid Betting Scandal Fallout
Other politicians have also weighed in on the scandal, with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine again calling for a ban on micro bets. DeWine claims to have support from betting companies and the MLB to prohibit betting on the markets he claims are “really a great threat to the integrity of sports.”
Micro prop bets are wagers on specific outcomes during a sporting event, often controlled by a single player—for example, wagering on whether a particular pitch will be called a ball or a strike.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz sent a letter to the NBA on behalf of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, calling for an explanation of what went wrong to allow the leak of insider information, manipulation of markets, and the connection between NBA players and coaches and organized criminal groups.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce similarly asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to explain the action the league intends to take to prevent any recurrences.
The letters sent by Tonko were more strongly worded. The Congressman ended his ultimatum, stating, “The choice before you is now explicit. Either engage directly with Congress to establish mandatory federal guardrails that restore integrity and protect the public or stand in opposition and accept responsibility when the next scandal breaks and more families and lives are destroyed.”
