American Gaming Association lists sports betting priorities

Following the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act last month by the US Supreme Court, the American Gaming Association has laid out its position on sports betting in a letter to federal lawmakers.

The AGA campaigned for legalised sports betting in the latter stages of New Jersey’s protracted litigation for sports betting liberalisation in which it was opposed by the national sports leagues (see previous reports).

The letter lists five AGA priorities:

* Empower State Regulation: Individual US states have proved that they are fully capable of regulating gambling without the interference of the federal government;

* Consumers First: Strong consumer protections and conveniences such as properly regulated intrastate mobile wagering are supported by the AGA in order to eliminate illegal bookmaking activity;

* Game Integrity: The AGA believes that rigorous sports betting regulation strengthens game integrity, and supports a national data repository to share suspicious betting information;

* Responsible Gaming: Individual states should implement programs to assist problem gamblers;

* Contracts Over Statutes: Sports betting can benefit both sports leagues and gambling companies, and the AGA supports the two reaching contracts to resolve their differences. The AGA opposes federal or state legislation that seeks to interfere with that process.

The AGA’s support for states’ rights in determining their own gambling laws should be noted by the National Football League and US Senator Orrin Hatch, both of whom issued statements following the strike down of PASPA.

The NFL put out a statement calling for overarching Congressional regulation of the sports betting industry, whilst Hatch (one of the authors of PASPA) declared that he intends to introduce legislation in the near future to “help protect honesty and principle in the athletic arena” in the wake of PASPA’s eradication.

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