Gambling news this week looks at the Federal bill targeting sports betting. As wagering on sports expands in America, it has drawn the attention of some in Washington, D.C. Now, two Senators are pushing a bill (based on the Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act) that would seek to exercise control of betting on sports at the federal level. The legislation would have a significant impact on how states regulate the activity, and on what Americans would be allowed to bet on.
Hello friends and welcome This Week in Gambling there’s a new Federal bill targeting sports betting is making headlines. One that has the potential to change sports betting in America. And that is this week’s big story! Ever since the Supreme Court’s decision in May of 2018, sports betting regulation has spread across America. But, just like everything else under the sun the federal government can’t seem to keep their damn hands off it!
Originally, the feds had this whole sports betting prohibition thing all locked up with their bullshit laws. But the High Court threw it out because it violated a little thing called the Tenth Amendment. Not to let something minor like the US Constitution stand in their way, some in the government had been looking for ways to stop sports betting. People like Orrin Hatch, former senator from the state of Utah. Utah! Well there’s a red flag!
Utah doesn’t approve of gambling. But then again, Utah doesn’t really approve of anything remotely associated with fun. Last year Hatch proposed this candy-assed bill which would have blocked sports betting and forced the states to ask permission from the Department of Justice if they wanted to regulate it.
Now that former Utah Senator Hatch has retired, new Utah senator Mitt Romney (yes that Mitt Romney) has picked up the sports betting legislation gauntlet, so to speak, and brought the Federal bill targeting sports betting back… although it’s not quite the same bill. The Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act is being pushed by Romney along with New York Senator Chuck Schumer as a way to establish a federal framework for sports betting in America. What the hell is a federal framework?
Basically we’re at this point where they realize they cannot stop sports betting, but hey maybe they can control sports betting. So when we come back from the break we’re going to talk about this federal framework, what this bill proposes to do, and what the US Supreme Court thinks about it.
As I mentioned before the break, this resurrected bill wants to establish a federal framework for sports betting regulation in America. Basically this federal framework is a minimum set of standards set by the government that all states regulating sports betting must follow.
Several years ago I actually spoke to the American Gaming Association about a similar scenario involving online gambling. At that time they were in favor of a federal set of minimum standards as opposed to what they called state-by-state patchwork regulation. I’ve linked to that interview.
This bill will allow in-play betting and it has no integrity fees… but… but… BUT… and this is our Kardashian sized butt… it might just block betting on college games. Also realize this, that when the Supreme Court reached their decision they said that while a ban on sports betting was unconstitutional, a federal law governing sports betting was perfectly fine… so there ya go.
Right now one thing seems clear, my friends, and that is that with the exception of college sports, this resurrected bill will do nothing to stop the expansion of sports betting in America… and who knows? By setting a minimum standard which states have to follow it might actually end up helping to facilitate the expansion of sports betting in America…
