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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 20 december 2018

APNewsBreak: Feds eye move to regulate legal sports betting

ways, with courts holding
that fantasy sports opera-
tors aren't required to use
official league data. Some
leagues, like the NBA and
MLB, have reached private
agreements with casinos
for use of data, particularly
for wagers made during
games on outcomes within
each contest.
The federal bill also would
create a National Sports
Wagering Clearinghouse
to receive and share sports
wagering data and suspi-
cious transaction reports
among sports wagering
operators, state regulators,
sports organizations and
federal and state law en-
forcement.
New Jersey's Supreme
Court victory set up a
patchwork of laws and
rules that differ from state
to state. Leagues including
the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL
have sought one uniform
In this Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, gamblers place bets in the temporary sports betting area at the SugarHouse Casino in
Philadelphia. set of rules nationwide.
Associated Press The bill would allow betting
on the Olympics and col-
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — games we love was never tests cannot be confined So far, legislatures in Ne- lege sports, but would ban
A pair of U.S. senators from compromised," Schumer within state borders," wrote vada, New Jersey, Dela- it on other amateur sports.
opposing parties is propos- said of the Sports Wager- Jocelyn Moore, an NFL ware, West Virginia, Mis- It also would establish a na-
ing that the federal govern- ing Market Integrity Act of executive vice president. sissippi, Pennsylvania and tionwide self-exclusion list
ment take back control of 2018. "That is why I believe "Without continued federal Rhode Island have legal- that people with gambling
sports gambling in Ameri- the time is now to establish guidance and oversight, ized sports betting. And problems can add their
ca, the first formal move by a strong national integrity we are very concerned although New Mexico has names to in order to pro-
Congress after a Supreme standard for sports betting that sports leagues and not passed a sports betting hibit sports betting provid-
Court ruling reopened a that will protect consumers state governments alone law, the Santa Ana Star ers from allowing them to
complex debate over fans and the games themselves will not be able to fully pro- Casino & Hotel started tak- bet, similar to state lists that
betting on games and who from corruption." tect the integrity of sporting ing sports bets in October casinos maintain.
controls the action. Hatch said that once the contests and guard against through a tribal gambling It remains to be seen
Several states have begun Supreme Court struck down the harms Congress has compact. City lawmakers whether the bill has enough
offering sports betting after the Professional and Ama- long recognized as being in Washington also voted support in the incoming
New Jersey won a long- teur Sports Protection Act in associated with sports bet- to legalize sports betting Congress to progress. The
fought challenge in May, May, "I began working with ting." in the District of Columbia casino industry's main trade
and many others are ex- stakeholders to ensure we Likewise, Major League on Tuesday, legislation that association, the Ameri-
pected to take up the is- were doing everything pos- Baseball said in a state- requires Congressional ap- can Gaming Association,
sue during new legislative sible to protect the integrity ment, "Legalized sports proval but would make the called the bill "the epitome
sessions in 2019 as a way of sports from corruption. betting is rapidly spreading nation's capital the first U.S. of a solution in search of
to generate millions in rev- "The legislation we've in- across the country, creat- jurisdiction without casinos a problem," adding that
enue. troduced today is the cul- ing a clear need for a set to authorize sports books. questions like which data
The federal bill introduced mination of eight months of consistent, nationwide Several states have already should be used by compa-
Wednesday by Sen. Charles of high-level meetings, integrity standards to pro- pre-filed sports betting bills nies should be worked out
Schumer, a New York Dem- discussions, and negotia- tect the sports that millions for early 2019, including by the free market, not leg-
ocrat, and Republican Sen. tions, and will serve as a of Americans love." Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, islated by government.
Orrin Hatch of Utah would placeholder for the next The PGA Tour called for es- Tennessee and Virginia, But Schumer said he will
have the U.S. Justice De- Congress, should they de- tablishment of a national and Eilers & Krejcik Gam- push hard for the bill, not-
partment set minimum cide to continue working to body to oversee the integ- ing, which tracks sports bet- ing that his political differ-
standards for states to offer address these issues," said rity of sports in the United ting legislation, predicts 30 ences with Hatch indicate
sports betting. It does not Hatch, who is retiring soon States. states will consider legisla- it is something that has sup-
explicitly provide the sports but wanted to show bipar- The bill also would provide tion in the new year. port from both parties.
leagues the cut of gam- tisan support for federal federal funding from sports The bill would require sports "No bet is ever a guaran-
bling revenue they have regulation. betting taxes for programs wagering operators use teed win, but it's a smart
been seeking, so-called "in- The NFL weighed in to address problem gam- data provided or licensed bet that I will strongly ad-
tegrity fees," but does not Wednesday with a letter bling. The eight states that by the leagues. Legislat- vocate for this bill to move
prohibit them, either. to the senators expressing already offer sports betting ing that could be tough forward and that Congress
"I knew that Congress had support for the bill. could still offer it while the as data source require- will vote to pass federal leg-
an obligation to ensure "The threats posed to the Justice Department evalu- ments have been chal- islation very soon," Schumer
that the integrity of the integrity of sporting con- ates the state laws. lenged in court in other said.q