AGA blasts US federal sports betting intervention bill
Association says federal involvement in awarding betting licences would be “unprecedented and inappropriate”
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has criticized a Senator’s bill that, if passed, would enable federal intervention into the process of introducing sports betting regulations in the US.
The association has said the bill, which would require states to seek federal approval for their sports betting regulations, is the “epitome of a solution in search of a problem”.
Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the AGA, said: “[The bill] represents an unprecedented and inappropriate expansion of federal involvement in the gaming industry.
Under the bill, states would have to renew their regulation applications to the Department of Justice every three years.
“Across the country, nearly 4,000 dedicated public servants already regulate all forms of gaming, including sports wagering, with more than $500 million committed to ensuring the integrity of commercial casinos’ operations and $822 million spent on regulation of tribal gaming in 2015 alone,” Slane said.
She also highlighted the speed at which the Supreme Court has moved to legalize and develop sports betting regulations in the last six months, without any federal involvement.
“While federal regulation of sports betting will continue to be a non-starter for the gaming industry, we appreciate the sponsors’ recognition that more must be done to curb illegal sports betting operations,” Slane added.
The bill has yet to be assigned to a committee for discussion.
Yesterday the AGA announced the appointment of Bill Miller as its new president and CEO, effective from January 2019.