NCAA Asks for Federal Action on Sports Betting at Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

^{Sen. Richard Blumenthal is making sure that the SAFE Bet Act is part of any conversations about sports betting regulation reforms. (Image: Annabelle Gordon / Sipa US / Alamy Live)}

NCAA president Charlie Baker and NFLPA representative Johnson Bademosi spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, recommending that the federal government put limits on the rapidly expanding sports betting industry in the United States. 

Many of the Senators in attendance appeared to share that sentiment, though some used the platform of the meeting to speak to other issues in the world of college sports.

Witnesses Call for Prop Bet Regulation, More Federal Oversight

One of the biggest areas of concern expressed by Baker and Bademosi was the harassment that athletes face at the hands of gamblers and fantasy sports players. Bademosi spoke about how threats and insults can have an “insidious effect” on the mental health of both players and fans.

“For most athletes, there is no gated community, no private security,” Bademosi said. “Yet we, alone, are exposed to the threats associated with problematic gambling.”

Baker called for a ban on individual player prop bets on college sports. While many states either have never allowed such bets or have since banned them, they are still legal in some form in about 20 states. 

“They can get rid of it; they did with the NBA,” Baker told the committee. “I’m telling you, a lot of this stuff that gets directed at young people is all driven by prop bets.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) used the meeting to push for the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act, which he introduced in September alongside Representative Paul Tonko (D-New York). That bill would establish minimum federal standards for sports betting and require states to go through a new application process for legalized sports betting with the US Justice Department.

“[The United States] is in the midst of a sports betting boom that is one of the most severe public health problems today,” Blumenthal said. “[It] makes Wall Street look like child’s play.”

Blumenthal also questioned the industry practice of limiting winning bettors while targeting losing bettors. 

Gaming Industry Largely Shut Out of Hearing

Other witnesses at the meeting included Northeastern School of Law Director of Gambling Policy Harry Levant, National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte, and former New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement director David Rebuck.

Of that group, only Rebuck argued that the status quo was sufficient for the regulation of sports betting. The American Gaming Association, which told ESPN that it was not invited to testify at the hearing, noted this fact, saying the discussion was missing an important voice.

“Today’s hearing notably lacked an industry witness,” AGA Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications Joe Maloney said in a statement. “The unfortunately exclusion leaves the Committee and the overall proceeding bereft of testimony on how legal gaming protects consumers from the predatory illegal market and its leadership in promoting responsible gaming and safeguarding integrity. We remain committed to robust state regulatory frameworks that protect consumers, promote responsibility, and preserve integrity of athletic competition.”

While the hearing was ostensibly only about sports betting, at least two legislators used the opportunity to talk to Baker about another topic. Both Senator John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) questioned Baker about the NCAA’s policies on allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports. 

Baker responded by pointing to federal court cases that have allowed the participation of transgender athletes, and noted that he was aware of fewer than 10 transgender athletes out of 510,000 participants in NCAA sports.

While the hearing put sports betting in the spotlight, there were no firm recommendations or decisions made on Tuesday. However, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, promised more consideration of the issue.

“This is not the end of this discussion, but only the beginning,” Durbin said. “We see many aspects to this whole issue in terms of the future of sports, treatment of athletes, colleges and basically [the] gaming industry nationwide.”