By TheNuts - Dec 20, 2024
The first congressional hearing on
sports betting in the United States took place on Tuesday, increasing federal investigation. The US Senate Committee on the Judiciary held an opening hearing on sports betting, titled "America's High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling." The committee listened from five industry witnesses, including responsible gambling organizations, the NFLPA, and a former regulator, during its most recent hearing in 2024.
“It’s critical that Congress looks into sports betting’s impact on America and determine how the industry should be regulated moving forward,” Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said in his opening statement, which also included references to collegiate athlete harassment and several sports betting scandals.
Durbin finished the hearing by stating that the debate over sports betting is only just getting started.
The committee members spent time interviewing the five witnesses and discussing their perspectives on the subject.
There are five witnesses:
• Charlie Baker, NCAA president
• David Rebuck, former director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
• Harry Levant, director of gambling policy and certified gambling counselor at the Public Health Advocacy Institute at the Northeastern University School of Law
• Johnson Bademosi, NFLPA representative
• Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling
While Rebuck contributed some weight to the argument for a controlled market, there were no direct industry representatives.
Following the hearing, the American Gaming Association published a statement addressing the omission.
According to Joe Maloney, SVP of strategic communications at the AGA, today's session lacked an industry witness. This disappointing decision deprives the Committee and the entire hearing of testimony on how legal gaming protects consumers from the predatory illegal market, as well as its leadership in promoting responsible gaming and ensuring integrity.
Baker advocated for a nationwide ban on college prop bets during his opening remarks. Bademosi also emphasized the influence on players and spectators, as well as the larger societal implications. He called for action to prohibit betting on undesirable outcomes.
Whyte highlighted three problematic trends:
• Increase in gambling advertising
• Advances in technology
• Unlimited menu of betting opportunities
Levant, a recovering gambling addict, described it as the "early years of a rapidly developing public health crisis." It is time for Congress to act."
Rebuck opened his statement as a "proud advocate for state-led regulation of legal gaming." He stated that states and tribes are best qualified to manage the regulation.
"Before legalization, millions of people wagered billions of dollars annually through illegal operations, committed fraud, evaded taxes and many instances were tied to organized crime," Rebuck told me. "These illegal operators offer no protections."
He stated that while government control is unnecessary, cooperation is already taking place and is appreciated.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) compared state-level sports betting regulations to marijuana.
Tillis stated that it is time to consider about the "rules of the road."
He suggested forming a task team to set federal regulations for the industry.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) co-authored the "Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act" with Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY). He asked the witnesses whether they supported the SAFE Bet Act. Baker stated that he favors some portions but does not know the whole scope, whereas Bademosi and Levant both support it. Whyte stated that the NCPG remains neutral on laws that propose a prohibition, like the SAFE Bet Act does temporarily.
"It's not a good bill," Rebuck said, adding that states should continue to have the authority to regulate and address the industry's difficulties. He also stated that worries about safeguards are shared by all jurisdictions involved in the industry.