Major sports betting expansion in the States hangs in the balance
News on 10 Jan 2018
News on 10 Jan 2018
If the US Supreme Court finds in favour of New Jersey and overturns the restrictive Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act later this year, a predicted 18 US states will be prepared to introduce licensed and regulated sports betting.
That’s the assessment of consultants Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, who predict that 18 states will introduce bills to regulate sports betting this year, with 11 having a good chance of passing legislation…and that’s just the minimum expected.
The reportedly $150 billion plus market will be too attractive for states to pass up on, promising increased tax revenues for those who get on board.
“Assuming a Supreme Court decision or action by Congress permits it, we could see the largest simultaneous expansion of regulated gambling in U.S. history with sports betting in 2018,” said Chris Grove, the company’s managing director.
States and private companies in the U.S. and abroad are already moving quickly to position themselves for a favourable ruling, Groves reveals, listing Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and California.
Among those, the most likely to pass measures this year are Massachusetts; Rhode Island; New York; New Jersey; West Virginia; Ohio; Michigan; Illinois; Oklahoma; Kentucky and Indiana.
Indiana and Kentucky already have introduced bills, along with similar measures passed in Pennsylvania and Connecticut (see previous reports).
Grove said Delaware is arguing it doesn’t need to pass a bill due to gambling legislation already on the books, and added Mississippi may not need to pass a bill. He said an argument has been made that that state’s fantasy sports bill also authorised sports betting.
States that are classed as unlikely to take advantage of a more liberalised sports betting environment in the USA are Tennessee; Alabama; Arkansas; Texas; Kansas; Nebraska; North and South Dakota; Wyoming; Utah; Idaho; Alaska and Hawaii.
David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, confirmed that the Eilers & Krejcik projections are in line with the historical trend of states turning more to gambling.
Sports betting is seen as most likely to be offered through commercial or tribal casinos, or state lotteries. Some analysts have opined that a favourable Supreme Court ruling could prompt a rapid expansion of internet betting.
