Do you know a lot about sport? Do you love the thrill of the game and predicting which team will win? What about adding in a bet for a little more excitement? Well, if you are in the United States, that might be a little problematic.
Or, would have been problematic up until a few months ago? Since 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prohibited betting on the outcome of sports matches in majority of states. There was naturally a lot of opposition to this act, with many Americans feeling it was unconstitutional.
As it turned out, the Justices of the Supreme Court decided that the act was unconstitutional. They felt that it was up to each individual state to decide whether or not gambling should be allowed. This was heralded as a great victory for those opposing the Act.
Many states have already started the process of filing legislation that will legalize sports betting. 23 states have taken steps to pass the legislature.
Of those states, only seven have had the bills passed at this time, but the others will no doubt follow suit soon. You will see that 24 states have not taken any steps to pass new bills in favour of betting and only one has come out in direct opposite to legalization. So, don’t try making any bets if you are in Utah, you could land up in serious trouble with the law.
Why are some states so eager to get in on the action? Simply put, they want their cut. If the bets are legal, they can be subject to taxation. Also, there are numerous knock-on benefits if the industry becomes legit.
These include job creation, better regulation, etc. For a full list of the potential benefits associated with this industry, check out NJGames’s the infographic below.
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