West Virginia joins the expanded sports betting fight

The federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act is under new threat this week following the introduction to the West Virginia House of HB2751 “Legalising Sport Pool Betting”.

Filed by House delegates Fluharty, Hornbuckle, McGeehan, Storch, Barrett, Sponaugle, White, Bates, Canestraro, Wilson and Pushkin on March 1, the measure claims that the US federal government has “no authority” to prohibit sports betting in West Virginia and asserts that it is:

“A bill to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §29-25A-1, §29-25A-2 and §29-25A-3, all relating to legalizing sport pool betting; authorizing the State Lottery Commission to promulgate legislative rules establishing sports betting; finding that federal law prohibiting sports betting in West Virginia is unconstitutional; authorizing assessment of fees and other necessary requirements; authorizing a tax on bets; establishing a special revenue account; and allowing incorporation of current laws and the promulgation of further requirements for sports betting by legislative rule.”

Our readers will recall that several US states are monitoring the progress of New Jersey’s long-running attempt to overturn the PASPA by leaving to the discretion of individual states the decision regarding whether or not to permit sports betting within their borders.

The New Jersey case has been submitted for US Supreme Court consideration after years of failed litigation in lower and appeal courts (see previous reports).

The West Virginia proposal can be accessed here: https://legiscan.com/WV/text/HB2751/2017.