New Legislation Targets Sports Betting Ads and AI in the US

New York Congressman Paul Tonko is gearing up to introduce federal legislation that would control advertising and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry. The SAFE Bet Act aims to create national standards for tackling possible negative outcomes from legalized sports gambling.

Congressman Tonko Advocates Federal Oversight in Sports Betting

Congressman Tonko, who represents the Democratic party from New York’s 20th District, stressed the necessity of federal government involvement while speaking at an event in Saratoga Springs, reported media outlet Sportscasting. 

During his speech, he mentioned that such a bill is almost complete and provides clear directions for advertising methods, affordability checks as well as application of artificial intelligence in sports betting. He seeks to safeguard those at risk but still keep gambling liberties alive.

One major area of concern for this law lies within a false advertisement, which it seeks to address by banning any language or promotion meant to lure people into betting like “bonus bets” among others. “No sweat” bets are another example used under the SAFE Bet Act that would be done away with since they encourage reckless gambling habits too. 

Moreover, these laws also propose that live sports events should not have commercials related to betting and even if there are any, then no broadcast is allowed between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM.

Tonko suggested that sports betting advertisements were uncontrolled and contrasted them with a “Wild West” scenario. He therefore proposes that regulations be put in place to prevent these ads from being targeted at specific groups of people such as the youth and those recovering from gambling addiction.

SAFE Bet Act Aims for Uniformity in Sports Betting Regulations Across States

The SAFE Bet Act also deals with affordability in sports gambling. It stipulates that no more than five deposits can be made into one account within 24 hours. Additionally, people will be required to confirm their financial ability before placing large bets although thresholds for this are still the subject of discussion among different stakeholders.

The use of AI for tracking gambling behavior is another area covered by Tonko’s bill. The legislation seeks to bar sportsbooks from using AI in monitoring individual betting patterns or creating specific adverts tailored towards clients. Furthermore, any development involving AI systems designed around live pricing models has been prohibited under the proposed law.

The US states Maine and Pennsylvania have already put strict rules in place regarding the advertising of online gaming accounts as well as the use of credit cards for this purpose. However, by introducing the SAFE Bet Act, the goal is to establish a single federal standard that will be applied uniformly throughout all states where sports betting is legal. This will mean that each state’s setup for gambling should follow similar basic requirements thus creating an environment that is safer and more predictable.