NJ Congressman asks for sports betting ban lift

New Jersey’s Frank Pallone reassured his position regarding the federal ban on sports betting.

US.- Frank Pallone, Congressman of New Jersey, said during a congressional hearing related to MMA regulations in the state that he believes that the federal ban on sports betting activity should be lifted.

Pallone said that Gaming Accountability & Modernisation Enhancement Act (GAME Act), which is proposed to replace the federal gaming laws, is outdated. GAME would repeal the 1992 PASPA, the legal act that prohibits sports betting activity in the country. “There is a revolution in the world of sports and that’s the exploding popularity of sports betting. Sports betting is more popular and widely accepted than ever before. Despite that, it’s still illegal in most of the country. A majority of Americans now believe that sports betting should be legal, and since it’s happening anyway we should ensure that basic consumer protections are attached to it.”

UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner supported Pallone’s comments and said: “I know offshore there’s betting everywhere. In Nevada, all our fights are put on the board, you can bet on the first fight through the last. Personally, not for the UFC, I am in favor of sports betting around the world, around the country especially.”

The Supreme Court scheduled oral hearings regarding the New Jersey case for December 4, but the decision on lifting or maintaining PASPA won’t be noticed until the first months of 2018.