This past Thursday, the Purdue University Board of Trustees approved a new sports wagering policy that has raised a few eyebrows throughout the country. The new policy bans faculty, staff, and non-athlete students from gambling on any sporting events that involve Purdue teams, coaches, or student-athletes. While sports betting was legalized in the state of Indiana as of September 1, any person found violating the new policy at Purdue could face termination or other punishment. The proposed ban would bar those associated with Purdue University from placing bets at brick and mortar sportsbooks as well as online sportsbooks. The policy will go into effect once the rule has been officially published by the University.

The NCAA rules already prevent student-athletes, university officials, coaches, and other professionals from wagering on college athletics, but Purdue’s decision to extend this ban on wagering to everyone associated with the University is unique. The policy aims to restrict the ability of staff and athletes to exploit their positions and potentially influence the outcome of the events in which they are betting on. For example, a professor could pressure their students into influencing the outcome of a match, or they could ridicule them for their performance in which they lost a bet. Additionally, athletes may share game plans or team strategy that could impact fair play. While a rule banning sports betting to prevent these unsavory situations seems like a good idea, the logistics of such a rule raises some serious questions.

Complications Surrounding the New Rule

In the state of Indiana, anyone who is 21 or older can bet on sports. It’s up to the Indiana Gaming Commission to ensure that all gambling operations are adhering to guidelines established by the industry. The challenge that the new policy that Purdue has presented is that faculty, staff, and students are only restricted when betting on Purdue matches, so how can this type of activity be monitored or regulated? As the policy stands, students and staff can still bet on other collegiate sports, just not those associated with their University. This opens up a myriad of issues with trying to monitor who is betting on what at Purdue.

While the University may be able to monitor the internet activity of the students on campus, they certainly wouldn’t be able to flag all sports betting websites because not all sports betting is being outlawed, only the matches being played by Purdue. This means that the University would have to develop a system that allows them to thoroughly analyze all activity on sports betting websites and applications to monitor exactly what students are betting on, which would require a dedication of extensive resources and may also raise questions about invasion of privacy. Additionally, it would be difficult to track who is responsible for the inappropriate online activity. What if a student is logged in under someone else’s account? What if they are logged in as a guest account? Not to mention the fact that many students may be using their own wireless network, or even placing bets through applications on their mobile devices. Tracking the online activity of every student, even those who are using networks other than the one provided on campus, would be impossible.

It is equally important to consider the approach that Purdue takes in order to crack down on sports betting at brick and mortar locations. Since the law states that anyone 21 and older can place bets on sports in the state of Indiana, casinos have no obligation to provide Purdue University with any information about the betting activity of its customers. The same could be said about the Indiana Gaming Commission, who oversees both the brick and mortar and online betting for the state. Their job is to monitor the activity of casinos and consumers in relation to the law, not the rules of Purdue University. Without much legal leverage, it is difficult to see how Purdue plans to crack down on these instances of sports betting without relying on individuals to divulge information when they see others violating the rules.

Timeline and Expectations

The announcement that came on Thursday has been in the works since all sports betting was legalized in early September, and University officials believe that it is a step in the right direction for Purdue, and that it accurately represents the University’s values. The expectation is that the rule will go into effect before Purdue plays Iowa on Saturday, October 19. Purdue will be the first public university to adopt a no sports betting policy in a state where sports betting has been legalized. However, St. Joseph’s University, which is a private college in Pennsylvania, recently announced a similar policy. If this is to be an emerging trend throughout the country, it will be interesting to see if Purdue is successful in establishing guidelines that accurately detect and identify students who violate the rules, without infringing upon their rights.

After much debate in recent months, Colorado residents will finally have the opportunity to vote on the legalization of sports betting within the state. The Colorado Proposition DD would bring legal sports betting to the state with a 10% tax that would be dedicated to environmental programs. As it stands, the state of Colorado offers limited gambling and gaming options to its residents, including casinos with slot machines, poker, and blackjack. Gaming was first legalized in Colorado in 1991; this November, voters have the opportunity to expand these gaming opportunities, by voting for Colorado to become the 20th state to legalize sports betting.

How Does Proposition DD Change Gambling in Colorado?

On November 5, residents of Colorado will vote for or against Proposition DD. If residents vote in favor of legalizing gambling in the state, then the new law will go into effect as of May 2020. Bettors would be given the option of placing a variety of sports wagers at casinos throughout the state. The new law would legalize betting on professional and college sports, Olympic games, motor sports, and esports contests; these changes would be in addition to the legal horse and dog racing gambling that is already available in off-track locations within the state. One of the only exceptions to legal sports wagering would be the limitation of individual player prop bets for collegiate athletics, which is more or less the standard in states where sports betting has already been legalized.

Fantasy sports, which were legalized in 2017, are unaffected by Proposition DD. In other words, no additional taxes are to be expected from existing fantasy sports games. While many states have already adopted online sports gambling applications, Colorado Proposition DD would restrict sports gambling to three licensed casinos: Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek. That being said, in time it is likely that these casinos would adapt to offer in-person and online betting options, potentially through sportsbook applications such as FanDuel.

Gambling with a Purpose

The initial conversation surrounding Colorado’s interests to legalize gambling mirrored the many other states who have been wrestling with the possibility since the U.S. Supreme Court decided to lift the prohibition of sports wagering in 2018. Concerns were raised about the proper rules and regulations that would be introduced if sports betting was legalized, as well as potential concerns for a rise in gambling addiction. In addition to these issues, residents and policymakers alike feared that the revenue generated from legalization would not do anything to serve the state’s economy or its residents. The early indication is that Proposition DD will address a number of these concerns, in hopes that residents will welcome these gaming changes with open arms.

The Aspen Times reported that the goal of Proposition DD is to help close the $3 billion state funding gap for the implementation of the Colorado Water Plan. The proposed 10% tax on sports gambling would have an annual cap of $29 million a year from casino sports-betting revenue. The largest percentage of the money from the 10% tax would go towards funding environmental programs. This includes programs like the Colorado River Compact (CRC), which is a program that benefits Colorado and its surrounding states by providing over 7 million acre-feet of water each year to Lake Powell. Lake Powell is a reservoir that crosses the border between Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, and the CRC includes contributions from other surrounding states as well. In order to meet the goal of providing such large quantities of water, the Colorado Water Plan aims to provide incentive for residents, farmers, and businesses to reduce water consumption.

A smaller percentage of the money taxed would go to gambling addiction services, while another portion would be directed to a “hold harmless fund,” which is a legal agreement that allows bettors to seek compensation if they can prove sports gambling damaged their financial well-being.

Managing Expectations

While the prospect of using the tax on sports gambling to cover the fund for this program is appealing, it can hardly cover the $3 billion gap in funding. Early projections suggest that if sports betting were legalized in May 2020 then it could be expected to generate roughly $10 million in its first year of legalization. In following years, it would be expected to plateau around $15 million. While this does not cover the large lack of funding for the Colorado Water Plan, it is refreshing to see that the state is using gambling in a way that could benefit the state and its residents.

Opposition to the proposed legalization argue that the burden of the Colorado Water Plan should not fall to those who are interested in betting on their favorite sports. Additionally, environmentalists have raised their concerns about the negative effects of future gaming expansion projects that could lead to pollution or the damaging of the existing natural areas within the state. Despite these concerns, it appears that Colorado residents have met Proposition DD with an open mind. Additionally, the benefits of Colorado’s Proposition DD could provide a model of responsible gaming laws for states that are still on the fence about the benefits of legalization. For now, residents will wait until November 5 to see the where the state’s sports betting plans are headed.

On September 1st, sports betting became legal in the state of Indiana; now the state is announcing the official launch for mobile sports betting, which will go live October 3rd. Throughout the month of September, casinos in the state of Indiana have launched their own sportsbooks in order to take advantage of the sports betting industry that has been growing rapidly throughout the country. On Wednesday, the Indiana Gaming Commission authorized Rush Street Gaming to begin conducting mobile sports betting in early October.

Rush Street Gaming is a Chicago-based gaming company that is known for its partnership with the French Lick Casino. It’s application to launch its mobile sportsbook was accepted by the IGC, who notes that the mobile sportsbook meets state requirements. As the Indy Star reported, bettors who will be using the mobile option can expect to see the same types of sports bets that they have come to expect from any casino sportsbook. The mobile sportsbook will be available anywhere in the state, and individuals will not need to register at the French Lick Casino in order to download the app and begin placing their bets.

A Rapid Change for Sports Betting

Since its legalization at the beginning of September, sports betting in the state of Indiana has grown significantly. As of September 1st, three casinos were taking bets at their newly launched sportsbooks. By September 19th, the number of casinos accepting sports wagers had grown to 13. Two other casinos have been authorized to begin accepting sports wagers but have yet to announce an expected launch date for their sportsbooks. Indiana joins the growing list of states who have introduced mobile sports wagering since the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize it last year. Indiana’s Governor, Eric Holcomb, officially signed a bill this past May that brought sports betting to Indiana as of September 1st. Indiana will become the 17th state to launch mobile sports betting, joining Pennsylvania, Iowa, West Virginia, and others.

The announcement of the first mobile sportsbook in the state of Indiana could be an indication that residents can expect others to enter the playing field within the next few months. The IGC made no formal announcement about any additional mobile sportsbooks, but the Majestic Star Casino and Hotel has applied for a sports betting license and the owners have expressed their interest in offering an online sportsbook.

What to Expect

Rush Street Gaming’s app will operate similarly to those that have been running throughout the country. Users will create an account by providing personal information and a form of payment. The app will also use geofencing technology, which will ensure that bettors who are using the app are in fact located within the state of Indiana. The new mobile sportsbook is actually the third online sportsbook that will be operated by Rush Street Gaming, who already offers mobile sports betting in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Perhaps its most notable achievement was the launch of the first online casino, PlaySugarHouse.com, which has grown in popularity over the past three years.

The October 3rd launch could be a large indicator of whether or not other gaming leaders will try their hand at mobile sports betting in Indiana. Gaming leaders like Caesars Entertainment and FanDuel already have a presence in the state’s gaming industry, so it is safe to assume that it is only a matter of time before they become involved. DraftKings, who recently was approved for an online betting application vendor license for the Ameristar Casino East Chicago, could also be eyeing a sports betting app for the state of Indiana. There has also been speculation about the England-based company, Smarkets, and their interest in launching an online sportsbook in the state. For now, bettors can look forward to the October 3rd launch of the Rush Street Gaming app.

Though there were other states considered to be front-runners, Tennessee has legalized sports betting, albeit in unusual fashion. SB 16 passed through the Tennessee Senate, and will become law July 1 st , even without the governor’s signature. Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, has always opposed gambling but his spokesperson confirmed that he will not veto the bill. There was a good bit of opposition from both sides of the aisle, primarily because sports betting will take place solely online. At this current juncture, almost every form of gambling is illegal in Tennessee. By virtue of that, this decision could not come as more of a surprise to some.

Even stranger is that, of the few states that have legal sports betting, Tennessee will only facilitate betting online. There is virtually zero gambling/casino infrastructure in the state, so the only viable way
to make sports betting attractive from a tax revenue perspective is to offer sports betting in, quite literally, every inch of Tennessee land.

How It Happened

SB 16 was the brainchild of two Senators from different parts of the state and from across the aisle. Steve Dicerson, a Republican from Nashville, teamed up with Rick Staples, a Democrat from Knoxville, and introduced the bill that did not pass with any sort of ease. In the Tennessee House of Representatives, the bill passed by a vote of 58-37, while the Senate vote was even tighter, at 19-12.

There was a lot of debate—perhaps even more than we have seen in other states—because the bill was exclusively for online sports betting. The main point from opponents was that the fact that mobile betting can take place from literally anywhere, gambling addictions will be created and exacerbated more easily than they are in states where one has to travel to a physical location in order to place wagers. Despite this opposition, the estimates of more than $50 million in tax revenue seemed to be more than enough to convince most Representatives and Senators to vote in favor of the bill.

As it stands, online sports bets can begin being placed in Tennessee on July 1st . You must be 21 in order to place wagers, however there is not much known at this time how that age requirement is going to be enforced.

Competing Against No One

This bill might have seemed a bit rushed, and part of that was by design. Tennessee has only one neighbor (Mississippi) that has legalized sports betting, so the thought is that a lot of out of state money might come into play, further boosting projected tax revenues. This means that, of the 8 states that directly border Tennessee, 7 of them are without legal sports betting options.

It may come off as a bit far-fetched to expect people to drive across state lines simply to place sports bets, but it may very well influence a sports bettor who is deciding between, for example, a trip to Nashville or a trip to Atlanta, where sports betting is not legal. At the end of the day, any tax revenue created from out of state bettors is more than what is currently being banked, and that alone is a major part of the reason Senators and Representatives voted in favor of the bill.

What’s more, tax revenue from the legalization of sports betting will be set aside for the state’s education system, which is amongst the worst in the country.

The legalization of sports betting is a trend that seems to be catching on in every state. Not only are there no less than 10 other states considering making the move, Indiana, just this week, also legalized sports betting.

Written By: Kayla Sherrell

The race to legalize sports betting is on. After states like Delaware and Pennsylvania experienced early success, other jurisdictions – including Colorado – are looking to join the second wave of states to legalize gambling on professional sports. Whether legal sportsbooks are coming to Colorado is far from certain, but state officials appear to be approaching the concept with a rational and open mind.

Colorado State Attorney General Looks to Expedite Sports Betting Laws

Until recently, legal experts believed that Colorado’s state constitution would need to be revised in order for sports betting to be legalized. On August 2nd of last year, however, Colorado’s State Attorney General’s Office released an official statement. The statement explained how the legalization of sports betting could be accomplished using a statue rather than a constitutional amendment. This would expedite the legalization process for Colorado gambling enthusiasts, as passing a statue is far quicker and easier than amending a constitution.

Colorado’s decision to start planning the implementation of legal sports betting is a good policy, as states that have gone ahead to legalize gambling on professional sports are raking in dough hand-over-fist. An economics study held by Oxford University estimated that legalized sports betting in Colorado could earn over $300 million in revenue for the state each year. The Colorado Department of Revenue has already started preparing for the arrival of sports betting, and they’re practically counting the gaming-related tax revenues already.

Colorado Legislators Advocate for Sports Betting

Colorado lawmakers are fighting to see sports gambling legalized throughout the state in 2019. State Representatives Cole Wist and Alec Garnet have advocated for the legalization of sportsbooks, arguing that that the payout for legalizing an American pastime that currently takes place illegally behind closed doors is well worth the political risk they may suffer for supporting the concept. And fortunately for Representatives Wist and Garnet, they’re not alone.

Colorado state legislators from both parties have continued to advocate for sports betting to become a legal recreation in the state. However, regardless of this enthusiasm, the legislature is committed to considering voter opinions about finding the best approach to legalization of sports gambling.

Colorado Takes a Cautious Approach

Legalized gambling has been put before Colorado voters multiple times. But, the past eight attempts at legalizing sports betting in Colorado have been all but squashed by the democratic process. Whether advocates in the legislature will be able to convince voters of the potential benefits of sports betting remains to be seen. However, even with voter resistance to legalized sports betting, policymakers are starting to sketch out the details of what sports betting will look like in Colorado’s future.

The Department of Revenue has come to the conclusion that it makes more sense to profit from and regulate sports betting, rather than let it continue on the black market uncontested. And, if the state’s progressive stance on the legalization and taxation of other formerly black-market activities – namely, the legal marijuana industry – serves as a sign of what’s to come, we’re sure to see creative and solution-oriented sports betting laws out of Colorado very soon.

Written By: Kayla Sherrell

Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are used to making history, and on December 18th they did it again by making the nation’s capital the first U.S. jurisdiction without preexisting casinos to authorize sports books. The D.C. Council voted 11-2 to authorize gambling on professional sports through mobile apps and at the city’s sports arenas, stadiums, restaurants, liquor stores, and other private businesses.

D.C. Looks to Cash In on Sports Betting

This past summer, the Supreme Court overturned the federal law prohibiting sports betting outside Nevada. In doing so, the Supreme Court has opened up new avenues for lawmakers and state officials across the nation. As of the time of writing, state and local legislators are scratching their heads, working hard to find new sources of tax revenue from legalized sports betting for to fund critical public projects and constituent communities.

D.C. is looking to cash in on the revenue created by legalized sports betting. The local Office of the Chief Financial Officer estimated that legal sports betting should bring in upwards of $92 million in tax revenue for city coffers over the next four years if operations are taxed at a 10 percent tax bracket. The majority of that tax revenue will likely go to the general fund. However, the bill reserves annually $200,000 for gambling addiction treatment and $1 million for violence prevention and early-childhood care.

Without Casino Gaming, DC’s Lottery Oversees Sports Betting

Washington D.C. does not allow casino gaming, which means it does not have gaming regulations or a commission to enforce them. To ensure that sports betting will be regulated properly in the jurisdiction, however, the new regulate-and-tax wagering policy will be overseen by the D.C. Lottery. Soon, the Lottery will start selling licenses to sports books at D.C.’s stadiums and arenas.

Licenses will be offered for terms of two and five years; a five year license will cost sports books about $250,000, and a two year license will run around $5,000. Currently there is no limit on the number of licenses a sportsbook may purchase. Gamers can place wagers at private businesses and establishments as well as through a mobile application, so there will be plenty of options for D.C.’s gamers. The D.C Lottery will have exclusive rights to operate the mobile betting app available to D.C. residents, which is expected to be the most popular source of sports wagering.

D.C. Joins Growing Number of Pro-Gaming Jurisdictions

Sports betting may have been prohibited by federal law, but by no means did this mean such wagers were uncommon. Sports betting enthusiasts have long advocated for legalization, since people in the U.S. already participate in gambling and wagering on sports and will probably continue to do so whether the recreation is legal or not. Therefore, government officials are looking at the end of the federal prohibition on sports betting as a new opportunity. After all, they may as well tax and regulate the realm of professional sports gambling so that communities could benefit from the extra tax revenue brought in by an activity that is finally rising up from the underground.

Washington D.C. has become the latest jurisdiction to create a legal structure for the regulation and taxation of sports wagering, but it’s certainly not going to be the last. As regulated sports wagering continues to grow across the country, gaming enthusiasts are sure to see new opportunities for wagering every day.

Written By: Kayla Sherrell

Ever since sports betting was legalized in the Garden State, the sports gambling market in New Jersey has been on the rise. Resident gamblers have already shown their support by placing around $1 billion dollars in bets at local casinos and race tracks in just the past 6 months. This has raised approximately $8 million in tax revenue for the New Jersey treasury, and returns are only expected to only go up from there.

Sports betting in New Jersey is booming, and both investors and officials are moving in on this lucrative new industry. Casinos and state officials alike are looking to integrate betting facilities into more sports-related establishments than ever before. And, due to the enthusiasm of New Jersey’s residents over legalized gambling, Garden State hockey fans will soon see a new sports betting lounge in Newark’s Prudential Center.

Devils Fans Get a New Betting Lounge

To the excitement of New Jersey Devils fans, the Prudential Center in Newark recently added the new William Hill Sports Lounge to its facility. The lounge will allow sports fans to make wagers in a comfortable environment with top-of-the-line facilities. And to the thrill of New Jersey gamblers, it’s being run by one of the top sports bookmakers in the country.

William Hill and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment recently signed a multi-year partnership with the owners of the New Jersey Devils professional hockey team. The deal, which was signed in October, will gave the bookmaker a physical presence at the Prudential Center. The William Hill Sports Lounge opened on December 14, and it’s already providing amenities to local sports betters. The agreement also gives the bookmaker rights over some digital and radio broadcasts on the Devils Hockey Network, the Devils’ digital and social media channels, and the Prudential Center’s exterior marquee LED billboard.

William Hill Sports Lounge Makes Its Debut

The William Hill Sports Lounge opened up to take bets the moment the Devils stepped onto the ice on December 14. The lounge’s debut kicked off with a ribbon cutting ceremony, featuring former Devils players Ken Daneyko and Chico Resch. The viewing center featured enormous video screens and featured updated odds on sporting events for fans with mobile betting apps. Updated league-wide odds will continue to be displayed on the gigantic four story tall Prudential Center’s scoreboard, during Devils games.

In addition to having the most current gambling technology out there, several William Hill staffers stay at the ready to answer any questions or address any concerns gamblers may have while enjoying the lounge. But don’t be mistaken, the lounge isn’t your typical velvet-couch scene. The William Hill Sports Lounge is a bit unusual in that it contains no seating area for gamblers. However, this move is much more intentional than it seems at first blush.

The betting scene in New Jersey is thriving, but the state prohibits in-person cash bets. At the Prudential Center, hockey fans are able to bet from their seats while using mobile online sports betting apps. No cash exchanges hands, but customers get the fun and excitement of sports betting in real time. Advancements like this go to show why the Supreme Court overturned the outdated and unnecessary federal ban on sports betting in the first place, and gaming enthusiasts across the country are looking forward to what’s coming next.

Written By: Kayla Sherrell

Missouri lawmakers appear to be intent on imposing some form of fee on licensed sportsbooks. As if gambling isn’t already expensive enough, policymakers in the Midwest are considering adding fees on sportsbooks in addition to what is already paid in taxes, application fees, and other costs. While players and bookmakers are grumbling about these new fees, they’re providing important revenue streams to Missouri’s schools and public oversight.

The Missouri Legislature Proposes a New Sports Betting Bill

Representative Cody Smith recently became the second politician in Missouri to pre-file sports betting legislation, which includes the new fees. Smith’s bill emphasizes that the royalties from this fee will be paid to public universities and used only for athletic compliance.

The sports betting bill has already been pre-filed and will include charging a 1 percent integrity fee, of total sports handle to licensed sportsbooks. Smith’s bill also includes a $5K annual administrative fee and a reinvestigation fee of $10K, which will be used every five years to perform a complete reinvestigation of the certificate holder of the establishment.

Fees Allocated to Athletes

The revenue generated from the integrity fee will be split up into two parts: 25% will be paid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), specifically for the wagers placed on games, the other 75% will go to registered professional leagues. Sports handle estimates that around 25 percent of a typical sportsbooks’ gross revenue would cover the 1 percent fee.

There is an upside to Smith’s sports betting bill. The bill puts sportsbooks in a favorable tax situation by calling for a 6.25 percent of adjusted gross revenue, which is one-half percent lower than Nevada’s. Smith also put in his bill that the tax revenue would be recouped in education and directed toward “Gaming Proceeds and Education Fund.”

Smith’s bill is somewhat unique because it represents the first time a bill has been filed in a U.S. statehouse that specifically targets royalty payments to the NCAA. However, it remains to be seen how Missouri’s laws will function as-passed. Right now, there is a competing bill pending in the Missouri legislature that requires an integrity fee of only 0.5 percent of handle, which would be be siphoned into the ‘Entertainment Facilities Infrastructure Fund’ to build, maintain, and renovate sports or cultural facilities. This goes to show that Missouri – just like the rest of the nation – is still fleshing out it’s approach to regulating and taxing legalized sports betting.

Most States Take a Different Approach

As of the time of writing, eight states in the U.S. have officially legalized sports betting. This became possible only recently after the Supreme Court over-ruled this component of federal anti-gambling policy. However, few if any are following Missouri’s lead.

For the most part, states are competing for new gaming industries, not imposing royalty or integrity fees. Other states have also not indicated their intentions to pay the NCAA or the professional leagues any sort of fee, at least thus far. West Virginia recently rejected the idea outright, and Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International, spoke out against the notion as well.

Written By: Kayla Sherrell

Legal sports betting has been sweeping across the nation. The Supreme Court overturned a 25-year old federal ban on the practice earlier this year when it struck down the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act (“PASPA”), which prohibited single-game sports betting outside of the state of Nevada. Since the sports betting has been legalized nationwide, state officials and gaming companies alike are quickly moving to explore opportunities to capitalize on the freshly-minted sports wagering industry. Just recently, this culminated in the U.S Sports Betting Policy Summit in Washington D.C.

Lawmakers Encourage Market Capitalization While Curbing Illegal Gambling

The U.S Sports Betting Policy Summit in Washington D.C. brought together leaders in sports wagering, lawmakers, and sports gambling business insiders to discuss the future of legalized sports betting. The conference on Capitol Hill lasted for nearly four hours and was held by the sports data company Sportradar.

The event featured discussions between several significant casino stake holders and lawmakers including; Ohio State Sen. Bill Coley, Michigan state Rep. Brandt Iden, Vice President of Race and Sports Operations for Stations Casinos: Art Manteris, and Stanton Dodge: Chief Legal Officer for DraftKings.

Lawmakers and leaders discussed some of the best possible ways to capitalize on the termination of the federal ban while simultaneously triumphing over the illegal gambling market. Lawmakers addressed the construction of effective anti-money laundering policies and other current issues in U.S sports betting policy. Likewise, industry leaders discussed thinks like the use and access of data, licensing, integrity fees, and how in-arena betting can blur the lines between gambling in stadiums and casinos.

Gambling Regulators and Industry Insiders Make Strange Bedfellows

States are able to set their own rules and regulations regarding sports betting, and as a result new sports betting bills are popping up left and right. At this rate, we may be looking at a different set of rules and regulations on sports betting across all 50 states.

This concept is a bit unnerving to policy makers and sports gambling enthusiasts, as the fluctuation in rules and regulations can easily lead to confusion and unintentional rule violations. However, absent a sweeping movement towards uniformization, gambling institutes and sports wagering enthusiasts alike may need to familiarize themselves with each state’s laws and regulations. This is particularly true when looking to continue recreating in sports wagering across state lines.

Many regulatory experts raise an eyebrow whenever lawmakers and industry insiders get together to craft policy. However, this approach does have its advantages. By allowing regulated parties to be involved in the rulemaking process, agencies are often able to develop better common-sense regulations. However, Ed Leonsis, majority owner of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards, warns gambling enthusiasts and lawmakers alike to not become to tangled in the speculating how detrimental legalized sports wagering could be. He instead emphasized how important it is to rely instead on a fact- and data-based perspective, and that the industry should be treated no differently than Wall Street.

Written By: Kayla Sherrell

NASCAR track promoters across the United States are waiting in anticipation to see how the impact of the new regulations and legalization of sports betting will be reflected in the iconic American sport. Everyone involved in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing – from promoters, drivers, and crew to the millions of loyal fans – are hopeful that legal sports wagering will provide a much-needed boost to NASCAR’s dwindling fan base. Legal gambling will give spectators a new reason to come to the tracks, and hopefully breath new life into one of America’s favorite past times.

Legalization of Sports Gambling

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on May 14th which sanctioned states to choose whether or not to permit sports wagering of any kind in their territories, the sports betting scene was drastically altered. The Supreme Court definitively catalyzed this change in scenery by overturning a law that had previously barred the majority of states from permitting the legal wagering on sports.

Many states – including Delaware, Mississippi, and West Virginia – have leapt on the opportunity to endorse full-scale sports betting. This is giving rise to a nationwide competitive industry for sports wagering, and NASCAR wants to make sure it gets in on the action.

NASCAR Maneuvers Toward New Gambling Laws

NASCAR and other sports organizations are reacting to the change in law by putting their own touch-and-go regulations into place, anticipating that sports betting will soon become a very popular recreation. Steve Phelps, the recently-appointed President of NASCAR, announced that the series will be implementing new guidelines concerning sports betting in the rulebook in 2019. He indicated that some rules will be put in place for sponsorship, and may include policies such as barring driver and other team members from betting on NASCAR races.

Despite these restrictions, NASCAR has made some early maneuvers towards embracing sports betting. This includes a prototype program at the Dover International Speedway, which recently opened up an on-site betting kiosk. Dover International Speedway has now become the first and only track to allow sports gambling to take place on its property – and, for the first time, NASCAR fans could legally place bets on the races at a trackside kiosk.

What Does Legal Gambling Mean for NASCAR?

So far, things are looking up for NASCAR due to the legalization of sports betting. The opening of the Dover International Speedway kiosk was reported as a success, with a crowed of fans and gamblers lining up at the kiosk hours before the race.

NASCAR doesn’t just offer spectators the opportunity to bet on their favorite driver to win. To add a new element of excitement, NASCAR’s pilot program allows wagering on who’s going to win, who will win the first or separate segments, or one-on-one bets such as betting between drivers. And to nobody’s surprise, people loved it. Gamblers took advantage of NASCAR’s strategic gambling model and placed bets on more than just the expected winners of the overall race.

The legalization of sports wagering has the potential of retaining fleeting NASCAR fans and attracting new spectators that enjoy gambling. Sports betting will bring new comers to the track, whether they are fans or sponsors, and give them a reason to invest in the sport. But, most importantly, it offers up the opportunity for NASCAR to breathe new life into a classic American sport.