West Virginia remains undecided on integrity fee

The state could end up paying the sports betting integrity fee to major sports leagues as the governor favours the deal.

US.- Major sports leagues in the US have been less than helpful in the sports betting legalisation process, but have now turned the ship around as the Supreme Court could revoke the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and allow the segment’s legalisation on a federal level. As the leagues push to get an integrity fee out of the business, most states (among those bound to legalise the segment) reject the possibility, but that’s not West Virginia’s case.

Governor Jim Justice continues to push lawmakers to review an already approved Law as he is keen on paying the integrity fee. “Essentially what we’re trying to do is extract money from West Virginia and send it to New York City and billionaire friends of the governor,” democrat Delegate Shawn Fluharty said.

Gov. Justice has been highly active in the sports scene as he brought NFL teams to hold training camps at The Greenbrier resort and a PGA Tour event to the state.

However, lawmakers think that every dollar sent to the leagues is a dollar that West Virginia could use for its own benefit. “This is two private entities,” republican Delegate Gary Howell said to wvmetronews.com. “The major league sports, in general, are all private entities. The casinos are private entities. They’re free to enter into any private contract that they see as mutually beneficial. The two of them can work together on it and government has no role in it. Freedom to enter into a contract is totally outside the government’s realm between two private entities,” he added.

It is still unclear whether the state will approve the integrity fee, but detractors are taking the Las Vegas model to strongly push against it. The state has had legal sports betting for years and the leagues haven’t seen a single penny going their way.