Supplier News
US – AGA launches coalition to drive sports betting legalisation
By Phil - 12 June 2017
The American Gaming Association has launched the American Sports Betting Coalition (ASBC), a collection of a diverse group of stakeholders dedicated to ending the 25-year-old failing federal sports betting ban, which prohibits sports betting outside Nevada.
The ASBC unites law enforcement, states rights’ advocates, state and local policymakers and gaming industry leaders. This group demonstrates that the desire to legalize and regulate sports betting is widespread and its formation is a critical component of providing Washington with the impetus to take action.
Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the American Gaming Association, said: “The time is right to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). In an illustration of this unprecedented momentum, seven states have introduced sports betting bills in 2017 despite the federal prohibition: Pennsylvania, Michigan, South Carolina, New York, Maryland, West Virginia and Connecticut. And just last week, it was reported that players’ union executives from the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL have all had “formal meetings to begin preparing for a potential legalization of sports gambling.” AGA has contributed to these discussions.”
“This diverse group of stakeholders is critical to pushing for legislative action in Washington, which is the first piece of the puzzle. Ending PASPA means states can then decide if they want to have sports betting or not,” he added.
The ASBC will empower law enforcement with robust regulations and 21st century tools. The coalition will include an advisory council of law enforcement and state and local elected officials to solicit critical input as all invested stakeholders craft a solution. It brings together the American Gaming Association’s Illegal Gambling Advisory Board, and immediately welcomes organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police, National District Attorneys Association, Major County Sheriffs Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors and National Conference of State Legislatures who support the coalition principles.
The coalition launch is taking place following the release of new research by Oxford Economics, showing that legalizing sports betting in the United States would curb a conservatively estimated $150bn illegal market while supporting up to 152,000 jobs, creating an estimated $26bn in economic output and generating up to $5.3bn in tax revenue.
