What’s the future of U.S. betting?
LAS VEGAS, NV (The Spread) – The U.S. Supreme court declined to hear New Jersey’s case to have the federal ban on sports betting overturned. So what’s the future of sports betting in the U.S.?
Thus far, New Jersey has fought a losing battle on legalizing sports betting in the state, but the fight is far from over. Senator Ray Lesniak has started the process of introducing legislation to decriminalize sports betting at the state’s casinos and race tracks. Lesniak and supporters have the lofty goal of having the first legal bet placed in the state by September.
The major professional sports leagues and the NCAA will be tough foes in legalizing sports betting on a federal level. The NCAA has taken the stand that legal sports betting puts the student-athlete at risk and harms the integrity of athletic competition. The question is, will sports betting ever be legalized in the U.S. outside of Nevada?
Sports betting is definitely becoming more mainstream, as you can find segments on ESPN and other networks featuring talking heads discussing the topic. I am obviously for sports betting to be legalized across the U.S. and believe that sooner or later it will be. There are currently billions of dollars being bet illegally around the U.S. with the exception of the legal bets placed in Nevada. You would have to think that unfortunately the integrity of an athletic competition is compromised from time to time regardless of the legality of sports betting. The point being that removing the ban on sports betting wouldn’t increase the chances of a game being compromised anymore than it is right now.
I would also like to see gambling in general become legal across the U.S. A person’s chances of winning in a casino are much higher then winning in a state lottery. Isn’t playing the lottery a form of gambling as well? The legalization of gambling across the U.S. could also have a positive effect on the economy as adding casinos and race tracks would create many jobs.
The legal battles will continue and hopefully sooner rather than later you will be able to legally place your sports bets outside of Nevada.
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