Sports Betting in the US Set for Federal Hearing

Regulated sports betting in the NFL could now get a clearer picture as a House subcommittee plans to conduct a hearing on federal oversight in the sector this Thursday.

National Football League’s executive vice president of communications and public affairs Jocelyn Moore will be present for the hearing as the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations hears, “Post-PASPA: An Examination of Sports Betting in America.” The committee will discuss the consequences of the sports betting world ahead of the PASPA strike order given by Supreme Court in May this year.

Chris Grove, gaming industry analyst and managing director of California-based Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, said that the industry is aware of the stance adopted by major sports leagues- NBA, MLB, and NHL. Overall, the leagues support integrity fee to help monitor irregular betting patterns to expose cheating and fixing in games. It could also mandate the betting operators to use only official league data.

Grove noted that the hearing would reveal where the NFL really stands when it comes to sports betting and how aggressively they go out to advance their positions. The American Gaming Association will be present at the hearing, noting that the federal oversight is not necessary for the sports betting industry.

AGA’s Senior VP of public affairs Sara Slane and the chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Broad Becky Harris. Slane had earlier sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, suggesting that the gaming industry is committed to eliminating illegal betting and making legal sports betting safe in the US.

Slane wrote about 4,000 dedicated public servants regulating the tribal casino industry and commercial gambling across the country. She criticized the creation of an untested federal regulatory regime over the time-tested existing regulatory framework.

The AGA is proposing five principles that could help in ensuring a safer, and more successful betting market. They are supporting responsible gaming and advertising, empowering state and tribal regulation, protection of game integrity, discouraging the enactment of legislative preferences for business interests and making consumer protection a priority.

Post the PASPA strike, West Virginia, Mississippi, Delaware and New Jersey legalized sports betting. Twenty other states are also looking forward to legalizing sports betting, including New York. Harris will explain Nevada’s experience in regulating sports betting and observing irregularities in the wagering patterns.

John Kindt, a University of Illinois business professor, who is one of the staunchest critics of gambling in the US will be appearing before the committee along with former Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, who is also the counselor for the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling.