STATESIDE Stateside
Legal sports betting remains the elephant in the room, the hot potato, El Dorado – Sharon Harris looks at the last big gaming frontier in the US
As states scramble to introduce their own programs, the professional sporting leagues will certainly fight to enter the
financial mix. How this plays out is anyone’s guess.
D
ecember’s workplace holiday parties and closures typically shorten our attention spans…but not this year. The American gaming industry has focused on the December 4 Christie v. NCAA (National
Collegiate Athletic Association) U.S. Supreme Court arguments that may determine the future of legal American sports betting. The Court chose this landmark case, one of only 80-100 cases heard each session, from 7-8,000 submitted. Could 2018 be the year? Enough groups think so
as they prepare to dismantle the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Many, like me, consider PASPA archaic and discriminatory against individual states. Since passing, times, technology and public attitudes have changed. American Gaming Association (AGA) Vice
President of Public Affairs Sara Slane claims 15 states have either introduced or enacted sports wagering legislation should the ban be overturned. New Jersey has done more. Outgoing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie states the Monmouth Park race track could offer all games within days of a decision, soon followed by the Meadowlands. Like New Jersey’s online gaming, the industry has developed partnerships and
8 DECEMBER 2017
technology. How long can New Jersey monopolize East Coast sports betting is anyone’s guess, but I suspect it would be a short run. For those new to the industry, PASPA authorized
Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon to launch sports betting. Nevada did; the others didn’t. New Jersey had one year to pass its own legislation, but incompetent, short-sighted politics blew that chance. A thriving $150-$450 billion illegal market emerged, lacking consumer protections, community tax benefits and safeguards for sports integrity. The battle for change began years ago, when Christie determined to legalize both sports betting and Internet gaming. Voters agreed and while New Jersey’s subsequent online gaming program has succeeded, sports betting has continually confronted legal obstacles.
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