Maryland submits sports betting bill
The American state joined a list of stated that are currently trying to legalise sports betting.
US.- Several states have been trying to legalise the sports betting industry in the country for quite some time now. Whilst Maryland is the latest one to introduce a bill, this one is not challenging a federal law.
H 989 would only legalise sports betting if the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) that prohibits the states from sponsoring sports betting gets cancelled. PASPA passed in 1992 and prevented states from offering gambling lines on sports. Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana were granted special exemptions, as all four of those states were offering some variation of sports lotteries back in 1992. Other states, such as New Jersey, South Carolina and New York want the Supreme Court to declare null the protection act.
The new bill would create a task force to study the implementation of sports betting in Maryland, and it would give the state lottery and the Gaming Control Commission the responsibility to oversight the activity in the state. Furthermore, racetracks and casinos would be eligible to apply for spots betting licenses in the state. If the bill passes the legislature and gets enacted by Larry Hogan, Maryland’s current Governor, it would need to be approved by a voter referendum.
One of the main characteristics of H 989 establishes that Maryland would be able to offer sports betting New Jersey wins its ongoing case that’s being appealed to the US Supreme Court. Last week, Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred admitted that the entity may be considering backing sports betting legalisation. Jay Monahan, PGA Tour Commissioner, also said that he’s open minded when it comes to discussing sports betting in the United States.
On the other hand, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) along with the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball League (NBA) and the Major League Baseball (MLB) filed a brief in December 2016 where they opposed the US Supreme Court case that involves sports betting activity in New Jersey.
