### US Senate Judiciary Committee Schedules Sports Betting Hearing
The US Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to convene on December 17th to deliberate on the topic of sports betting. The session, led by Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, will take place at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. Though specific details remain unconfirmed, the event has been titled ‘America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalised Sports Gambling.’
Comprised of 21 members, the committee includes 12 senators from states where sports betting is legal and regulated.
The announcement of the hearing follows a letter drafted by Democrat Senator Mike Lee and Republican Senator Peter Welch, who also sit on the committee. In this letter, they urged an inquiry into FanDuel and DraftKings over alleged anti-competitive practices. They accused these platforms of breaching the Sherman Act, which prohibits collusion to hinder competition.
The discussions will potentially cover the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act, a measure introduced by Representative Paul Tonko and Senator Richard Blumenthal. This act is considered the first in its scope to address the public health concerns linked with the extensive legalisation of sports betting.
Under the SAFE Bet Act, sports betting would face a general ban. States wanting to allow the practice would need to submit applications for approval to the Attorney General. Additionally, operators must adhere to federal criteria concerning advertising, affordability, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
These standards include prohibiting sports betting ads from airing between 8 am and 10 pm and during live sports broadcasts. Affordability measures restrict operators from processing more than five player deposits within 24 hours, and the use of credit cards for deposits is not permitted. Operators are also required to perform affordability checks on players placing large bets within certain periods.
Moreover, the act seeks to prohibit using AI for tracking gambling behaviors and generating personalized offers, promotions, or micro-betting products.
The American Gaming Association harshly criticized the SAFE Bet Act upon its introduction. Chris Cylke, the association’s senior vice president of government relations, stated that instituting stringent federal bans disregards the efforts of state legislatures and gaming regulators who have devoted extensive time and resources to creating tailored regulatory frameworks.
Earlier this month, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang called on the US to reevaluate online sports betting regulations, claiming they exploit vulnerable individuals.
Recently, Missouri became the latest state to legalize sports betting, following the approval in November’s state elections.
For more information, see the original article on [EGR Intel](https://www.egr.global/intel/news/date-set-for-us-committee-hearing-into-sports-betting/).