US sports leagues await sports betting regulatory framework
The sports leagues released statements supporting the US Supreme Court ruling and asked for a regulatory framework.
US.- New Jersey’s attempt to overrule the federal ban on sports betting has given sports leagues the time to prepare for the positive outcome. However, while they’re welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the federal ban, some of them are asking for a regulatory framework to help them set a scheme to operate in the US.
The high court ruled yesterday that Congress overstepped its authority in 1992 by prohibiting states that didn’t already allow sports betting from entering the business. The vote ended 7-2 in favour of overruling PASPA, the sports protection act that was passed 26 years ago.
Professional sports leagues have been lobbying for a fee in the sports betting business for a few months. Leaders have historically opposed the idea of a legalised sports betting market in the United States, but recently changed their stance after numerous industry experts estimated that the Supreme Court would overturn the federal ban.
The National Football League (NFL) released a statement right after the Supreme Court announced that PASPA was unconstitutional and said: “The NFL’s long-standing and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our game remains absolute. Congress has long recognised the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events.” The NFL said that they intend to call on Congress to enact a core regulatory framework for legalised sports betting. “We will also work closely with our clubs to ensure that any state efforts that move forward in the meantime protect our fans and the integrity of our game,” the statement said.
Furthermore, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “We remain in favour of a federal framework that would provide a uniform approach to sports gambling in states that choose to permit it, but we will remain active in ongoing discussions with state legislatures”. He reiterated that the integrity of the game remains the highest priority, regardless of the particulars of any future sports betting law.
The PGA Tour released a statement after the ruling, which said that it reiterated its support of the regulation of sports betting in a safe and responsible manner. “We believe that regulation is the most effective way of ensuring integrity in competition, protecting consumers, engaging fans and generating revenue for government, operators and league.”
“We remain aligned with the NBA and MLB in this area, and we will continue with our collective efforts to work with legislators, regulators, operators and others in the industry on regulation that serves the interests of all involved,” the Tour added in its Monday statement.
Chris Grove, managing director of sports and emerging verticals at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, said that the X-factor is whether or not, or to what degree, professional sports leagues and gambling industry stakeholders can reach consensus on a way forward. “There remains quite a bit of distance of how these two groups view sports betting.”
