Besides other regulations on advertising, affordability, and AI use, SAFE Bet would immediately place a nationwide ban on sports betting in the US. Individual states would then have to apply for legal sports betting via the Attorney General, who would accept or deny applications that would be valid for only three years.

“I don’t think that’s the way to approach it,” Titus said on Thursday.

Bill takes fire

Titus is co-chair of the Congressional Gaming Caucus in Washington, DC. This  gives her disparaging comments that SAFE Bet was, in part, merely “a messaging bill,” added weight.

“I don’t see it passing, certainly not this session,” Titus stated at the Semafor event. Nevertheless, the US Congresswoman added she didn’t want the bill to “get a head of steam going forward.”

During her live appearance Thursday, Titus outlined some of her reservations against the bill. Titus bemoaned SAFE Bet’s litany of restrictions, including ad bans and enforcement on “when you can gamble, how much you can gamble, and when you have to stop gambling.”

when they call for a study, it’s always dangerous”

She also hit out at Tonko and Blumenthal’s insertion into the bill of a “big study” into US gambling. Titus stated “when they call for a study, it’s always dangerous, because you don’t know where that’s going to go.”

The Congresswoman went on to defend the gambling industry’s commitment to responsible gambling via “bold steps” taken since the 1990s to self-regulate. “I think that’s better, to have self-regulation or state regulation, not have the federal government get involved at this level,” she stated.

Industry hits back

AGA’s Senior Vice president of Government Relations Chris Cylke was also scathing in his recent put down of SAFE Bet. Cylke maintains state regulators have dedicated their time and resources to developing “thoughtful frameworks unique to their jurisdictions.” 

“Introducing heavy-handed federal prohibitions is a slap in the face to state legislatures and gaming regulators,” the AGA exec stated.