Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act

This bill establishes minimum federal standards for sports betting, including a general prohibition on accepting sports wagers unless states opt in with approved programs, and creates public health measures to address gambling-related harms. It defines key terms like sports wager, microbet, proposition bet, and gambling disorder, and sets up a framework for state regulation and federal oversight.

Sec. 101, General prohibition on sports wagering: It is generally unlawful to knowingly accept a sports wager, except for operators in states with approved sports wagering programs or under state social gambling laws. The Attorney General can seek injunctions and civil penalties of up to $10,000 or three times the wager amount, with each wager counting as a separate violation. This prohibition takes effect 18 months after enactment.

Sec. 102, State sports wagering program: States may apply to the Attorney General for approval to run a sports wagering program. Applications must describe the program and state laws, and include an assurance of adequate legal authority. The Attorney General must approve or deny within 180 days. Approvals last three years and can be renewed. The Attorney General can revoke approval early if standards are not met, with procedures for administrative review.

Sec. 103, State sports wagering program standards: To be approved, a state program must meet several standards: establish a state regulatory entity; allow in-person wagering only through licensed operators; restrict internet wagering to individuals within the state or an approved interstate compact; require state approval for each type of wager; prohibit proposition bets on amateur or intercollegiate sports; ban wagering on events that have already started; and prevent wagering by individuals under 21, those on the national self-exclusion list, and athletes, coaches, or officials on their own events.

Sec. 201, Annual nationwide survey on online sports betting: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must conduct an annual nationwide survey on problem gambling and gambling-related harm from online sports betting, using the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Results must be made public, and surveys must be done by qualified researchers not funded by the gambling industry.

Sec. 202, National Self-Exclusion List: The Secretary, with state regulatory entities, must maintain a national self-exclusion list allowing individuals to restrict themselves from placing sports wagers in any opt-in state. A process for adding or removing oneself from the list must be established.

Sec. 203, Surgeon General's Report on Public Health Challenges Associated with Sports Betting: Within one year of enactment, the Surgeon General must submit a report to Congress on public health challenges from widespread sports betting.

Sec. 204, Surveillance of gambling disorder: The Secretary, through the CDC, must enhance infrastructure to track gambling addiction epidemiology and may create a National Gambling Addiction Surveillance System to facilitate research, with public access subject to privacy laws.

Sec. 301, State and Tribal authority: For Indian Gaming Regulatory Act purposes, a sports wager via an interactive platform is considered made at the server's physical location. If the server is on Indian lands and in the same state with a Tribal-State compact, the wager is considered exclusively on Indian lands. The bill does not preempt stricter state or tribal laws, nor does it affect their taxation of sports wagering.

Sec. 302, Severability: If any part of the Act is held invalid, the rest remains in effect.