On April 30, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced a consumer protection hearing on sports betting, scheduled for May 20 in Washington, D.C.
The announced witness list contains no independent experts. On the contrary, the witnesses directly or indirectly support the online betting industry. The sector siphoned more than $16 billion from Americans in 2025 (excluding prediction markets).
The list includes:
- Mr. Bill Miller, President & Chief Executive Officer, American Gaming Association
- Mary Beth Thomas, Executive Director, Tennessee Sports Wagering Council
- Scott Sadin, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Integrity Compliance 360
- Patrick McHenry, Senior Advisor, The Coalition for Prediction Markets
With all due respect to the experience of those witnesses, this hearing looks to offer nothing in the way of expert testimony on the growing population-level financial harms of online sports betting, whether house-banked or peer-to-peer. A hearing lacking this perspective can serve to normalize a predatory industry.
The press release stated that additional witnesses may be announced. Hopefully that happens.
Focus on Sports Integrity
According to Blackburn’s sports betting hearing announcement, the discussion will focus on the integrity of sports games, with no mention of public health reform.
The integrity of sports means ensuring that competitions or microevents are not corrupted for the purposes of, or related to, gambling. The rise of sports betting appears to have fueled belief in NFL-related conspiracy theory.
Overall, it’s a bizarre witness list for the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy. Sports integrity can be a consumer protection topic, but less so than gambling-related financial harm.
The integrity of sports is a serious concern in the context of gambling. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg on the negative social impacts of state-sponsored online sports betting.
It’s crucial to note that problem gambling is often a component in cases of game corruption involving betting.
Underage Use May Be Discussed
There is one possible bright spot for the hearing if you’re interested in public health.
According to a statement from Blackburn, she may touch on underage gambling on sports betting platforms. Concern over minors gambling on sports has bipartisan support.
Blackburn said:
“Fair play is the foundation of American sports, but recent match-fixing scandals in professional sports have put a spotlight on the risks facing the integrity of competition. As traditional online betting platforms and new entrants like prediction markets continue to intersect with sports, we need a clear understanding of how these platforms operate and what they mean for the integrity of the game. This hearing will examine how we strengthen oversight, protect the credibility of competition, and address the growing exposure of young people and children to betting platforms.”
Image by Annette from Pixabay
