Congress Halts Plan to Impose New Sports Betting Regulations
David Genge Published 29/07/2026
Plans in Congress to impose new regulations on sports betting have hit a stumbling block of uncertainty among lawmakers. A months-long effort seeking to pass new legislation to impose new rules on the US legal and regulated sports betting industry has stalled. That is despite the fact that there is bipartisan acknowledgement that the major US online sports betting sites have gone under-regulated for far too long.
Members of Congress feel that sports betting sites are guilty of reaping massive profits off the backs of millions of Americans. Meanwhile, these online sportsbooks are doing very little to limit opportunities for corruption such as match-fixing.
Congress believes that online sportsbooks need to be doing more
Members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate agree that the major US sports betting sites aren't doing enough to police the bettors they entice to sign up. They feel that this booming business also isn't serving the growing problem with gambling addictions among its players.
"With respect to sports, betting is a sad reality that probably we cannot change," Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia told The Hill. "[It] is just draining money out of people’s pockets, especially young males in ways that are pretty destructive.”
Also worrisome is the close relationship between the betting sites and sports teams and leagues. In the past year, North American sports have been witness to several betting scandals. There are pitch-rigging accusations against two Cleveland Guardians pitchers. An NHL player was caught funneling bets by proxy through friends. Several NBA players and NCAA players were caught up in match-fixing actions. And perhaps most startling of all, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby was banned from the NCAA after it was found that he'd made over $90,000 in bets, some on games involving his own team.
Big money is backing the sports betting sites
Another issue that members of Congress feel is part of the problem is the lobbying efforts of the online sports betting sites. Through financial partnerships with pro sports leagues, teams, and even individual players. Betting sites are both infiltrating and cozying up to the people for whom they must also set odds on outcomes.
“For one, these issues are relatively recent" said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. "But second, these [sports betting and prediction market companies are] throwing their weight around here.
"They’re using their resources, lobbying, lawyers and money to try and stop us.”
SAFE Bet Act doesn't make a move in Congress
While sports betting is heavily regulated at the state level, certain members of Congress believe that more could be done to control the betting sites and to protect the customers of these sites.
The SAFE Bet Act was introduced in front of Congress earlier this year. This bill's language is designed to rein in the sports betting sites. It would seek to curtail what Congress views as predatory practices by the sports betting sites to get people hooked. The hope is that this legislation could help implement stricter standards on the betting industry and provide better safeguards for customers, especially the young people that seem the most susceptible to becoming problem gamblers.
However, the bill has gained little traction in the Senate. The bottom line may be this issue isn't a matter of concern with most members of Congress.
“The reality is we’re four months away from an election, and this isn’t a top priority,” one national Republican strategist told The Hill. “So much political capital is being spent on a ton of other issues."
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