Congressman Tonko calls on major sports leagues to support gambling safety after NBA scandal
Congressman Paul D. Tonko has sent letters to various major sports leagues, calling on them to support his federal gambling safety act.
As the world of sports betting continues to grapple with the knock-on effects of the NBA scandal, Congressman Paul D. Tonko has written letters to various major professional sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MSL, and NWSL. The letters are addressed to the respective commissioners but have been made available for all to read, calling on the organization to support his Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (SAFE Bet) Act.
It’s time for @NBA and other professional leagues to throw their weight behind minimum federal standards on sports gambling before this problem gets even further out of hand.
— Paul Tonko (@RepPaulTonko) October 23, 2025
The proposed act aims to implement federal gambling safety standards in a number of key areas. That includes requiring states to apply to the US Attorney General for permission to offer sports betting, implementing a nationwide ban on wagers like in-play betting and prop bets, and restrictions on advertising.
There are also customer protection measures, such as government mandates for affordability checks on bettors, a national self-exclusion list for problem gamblers, and a ban on allowing credit cards to be used in betting accounts.
The backdrop of the NBA scandal
While work on the SAFE Bet Act has been in the works for years, Tonko and supporters of the gambling safety proposal have highlighted the NBA scandal as an example of why it’s sorely needed.
“Claims of prioritizing integrity ring hollow when leagues have sold credibility to gambling operators, integrated betting content into broadcasts, normalized wagering for teenagers, glorified it in advertising, and then failed to prevent criminal conduct from taking hold within the sport,” the letters read.
“The stakes go far beyond the integrity of the sport; they encompass the very real human harm occurring across communities nationwide.
“The reliance on voluntary self-policing has failed. If the integrity of professional sports depends on federal law enforcement alone, the current system is already broken.”
When the new broke about the NBA scandal on October 23, Tonko took to Facebook to highlight the urgency of the SAFE Bet Act, writing: “Scandals like this are an inevitable consequence of the unchecked explosion of the sports betting industry. That’s why we need to pass my SAFE Bet Act – to address public health, protect competitive integrity, and give sports back to the American people.”
Readwrite has contacted Congressman Tonko for further comment.
Featured image: Office of Paul D. Tonko
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