House Administration Committee introduces bill to bar Congress from political betting

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Bill to ban Congress political betting

Highlights

Chairman Bryan Steil introduces the Stop Lawmakers from Predicting Act to ban members of Congress and families from wagering on government-related prediction markets.
The bill imposes penalties of $2,000 or 10% of transaction value, plus forfeiture of net gains, with referral to the Department of Justice for unpaid fines after resignation or retirement.
The proposed legislation extends existing ethics rules and responds to recent concerns over lawmakers' use of nonpublic information for political bets, as current laws lack explicit prohibitions.

Bill terms and enforcement framework

As reported by the House Committee on House Administration, Chairman Bryan Steil introduces the Stop Lawmakers from Predicting Act to prohibit lawmakers and their families from wagering on specific government policy, government action or political outcomes through prediction markets.

The proposal requires violators to pay $2,000 or 10% of the value of the prohibited transaction, whichever is greater, along with any net gain realized from the trade. It also bars Members from using their Members’ Representational Allowance, Senate personnel and office expense accounts, or political contributions and donations to cover the penalty.

If a Member resigns or retires without paying the fine, the case can be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for civil enforcement. Steil says the legislation is designed to prevent lawmakers from profiting from insider information and to rebuild public trust in elected officials.

Broader ethics push and policy context

Recent media coverage has raised concerns about the use of nonpublic information in prediction markets, including cases involving candidates wagering on their own elections. The proposal addresses an area that current law does not explicitly cover, because lawmakers are not specifically barred from using prediction markets tied to policy issues or election outcomes.

The committee says the bill builds on the Stop Insider Trading Act, which the House Administration Committee advanced on Jan. 14, 2026. The new measure reflects broader pressure for tougher ethics safeguards as scrutiny grows over how public officials could benefit from access to sensitive political or policy information.

Our earlier report on the proposed congressional prediction market ban explained that Rep. Bryan Steil planned to bar lawmakers and their families from wagering on policy, political, or election outcomes. It also outlined the planned penalties—$2,000 or 10% of the transaction value, plus any gains—and noted the measure’s uncertain path in the Senate amid broader debate over stricter trading restrictions for members of Congress.

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