Category Archives: Gambling

The gambling industry has exploded over the past decade and now takes 14.4bn from UK punters every year equal to more than 200 from every man, woman and child in the UK with the online sector growing particularly fast.

The sectors major firms have been transformed into some of the most recognisable brands in the country and gambling is a vast business, despite mounting concern among politicians and campaigners, which has shown it is willing to fight hard to preserve its revenues.

The gambling boom was kicked off when Tony Blairs Labour government passed the Gambling Act 2005, dramatically liberalising the laws governing betting. The late Tessa Jowell, who pioneered the legislation, later described this as one of her biggest regrets.

Some betting bosses have made vast fortunes. The Bet365 boss Denise Coates has received more than half a billion pounds in salary and dividends in the past two years. The Betfred bosses Fred and Peter Done have a combined fortune of more than 1.25bn.

High street bookies 100-a-spin fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) became known as the crack cocaine of gambling. They were linked to high rates of addiction and ruinous losses but produced massive profits. When the government limited their numbers to four per shop, the bookies opened more shops. Last year, after a long-running campaign, the government reduced the maximum stake to 2.

Some bookmakers sought to bypass the FOBT crackdown by quickly inventing new games that mimicked FOBTs while technically complying with the rules. They withdrew the games under pressure from the Gambling Commission after the Guardian exposed the practice.

Deregulation also led to a sharp increase in the number of gambling adverts. In 2013 the broadcast regulator Ofcom found the number of ads on TV had increased by 600% in six years. The sectors annual spend on advertising reached 1.5bn by 2017.

Many adverts were attached to live football broadcasts. Mounting public concern about the impact on children prompted the industry to impose a voluntary whistle-to-whistle ban on betting ads from 2019. However, some have since shifted to social media marketing instead.

Football remains the betting industrys cash cow. Of the top 40 clubs in English football, 25 have a gambling sponsor. There have also been controversial bespoke deals, including Wayne Rooney and Derby Countys tie-up with the online casino 32Red.

Shirt sponsorships and TV ads aside, football fans still see betting logos wherever they look. An episode of Match of the Day can feature more gambling logos than a Sky broadcast because of visible branding on pitch-side hoardings and elsewhere. Concern has been expressed about gambling branding in the childrens section of football programmes.

A recent tie-up that resulted in seven gambling firms buying exclusive rights to show FA Cup games free to customers with an active betting account prompted outrage and a swift climbdown from the industry and the Football Association.

The growth of the gambling industry has been accompanied by a wave of transgressions that has led to firms being sanctioned by the regulator. Firms to face punishment include Betfred, PaddyPower, Ladbrokes Coral, William Hill, SkyBet, 888, 32Red and LeoVegas, to name but a few.

In some cases, problem gamblers have been given hush money to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevents them taking their case about a specific companys failings any further. The Gambling Commission has since clamped down on this.

Some techniques are still permitted but are increasingly seen as questionable. Earlier this year the Guardian revealed details of the industrys use of so-called VIP schemes offering free bets and free tickets to big sporting events to heavy gamblers implicated in multiple cases where problem gambling had spiralled out of control. The commission is reviewing the schemes and could ban them.

Earlier this month the commission announced plans to stop gamblers from using credit cards to bet in the light of cases where addicts used multiple cards to rack up huge debts.

The industry contends that the rate of problem gambling has remained relatively stable at 0.7% of the population, despite deregulation. However, that is equal to 340,000 people and hospital admissions related to the addiction are rising.

Recent studies have suggested a rise in the number of child problem gamblers to 50,000.

Free help and advice about problem gambling is available online at BeGambleAware.org or by calling the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133

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How Britain got the gambling bug - The Guardian

Now that all the dust has settled, we finally have our NFL final four. The Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs battle it out this Sunday afternoon to decide who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, while the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers play Sunday night for the last spot in the Super Bowl.

Both home teams are favored this week, and the spreads of both of these matchups have been hovering out seven to 7.5 points. Below, we will analyze which bets I'm high on, which bets you should avoid and then some long shots I'm interested in.

Let's jump in now. All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Henry rushed for 182 yards against the New England Patriots in the wild-card round and 195 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. Both of those defenses are two of the best in the NFL, and I have no reason to believe that Henry will not be able to replicate his success on the ground against Kansas City. When the Titans played the Chiefs in Week 10, Henry rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Take the over here.

Rodgers has thrown for over 240 yards six times this season. He only threw for 104 yards against the 49ers in Week 12, but if this game goes how many think it will go, the Packers will need to be throwing the ball a lot. Rodgers also has a personal vendetta against the 49ers for passing over him in the 2005 NFL Draft, and there is no better way to get some revenge than by preventing the 49ers from reaching the Super Bowl with a big performance. Whether the Packers win or lose this game, I think Rodgers will pass for at least 240 yards.

The Chiefs appear to be the best team remaining in the playoffs and are on a seven-game win streak, but they are running into a team of destiny. There aren't many people who expected the Titans to be in this situation -- one game away from the Super Bowl. Hardly anyone expected them to beat the Patriots and then the No. 1 seed Ravens, both on the road. I'm going to take the Titans to win this game, and if they don't, I think they can cover 7.5 points.

Wondering which teams will wind up in Super Bowl LIV? Pete Prisco and R.J. White join Will Brinson with their picks, gambling advice and more on the Pick Six Podcast. Listen below and be sure to subscribe for daily NFL goodness.

There is a lot of money coming in on the Packers and 49ers to score more than 45 collective points, but I think there's a possibility that will not happen. It's interesting that 45 points is the exact point total both teams scored in Week 12, when the 49ers blew out the Packers, 37-8. This game could end up being a defensive showdown. Both teams have incredible pass rushers who can get to the quarterback in a hurry, and both have been spotty when it comes to putting up big points. Even if the 49ers blow out the Packers again, I think it won't be as bad as Green Bay's Week 12 showing.

I was surprised to see that Hill's under for receptions was favored by that much. The last time Hill played the Titans, he set a new career-high in receptions with 11 for 157 yards and a touchdown. He only caught three passes last week against the Houston Texans, but I think Andy Reid will try to get his star wideout going with a Super Bowl appearance on the line.

I'm going to have to explain this Packers' moneyline pick, because I also have it ranked fairly high when it comes to ranking moneyline value. I like that people are ready to throw it all on the moneyline for the Packers, but don't throw all your eggs in one basket. I say this because I think there's a better possibility of the 49ers winning this game but not covering the spread than the Packers winning straight up.

Jones has scored two more more touchdowns in seven games this season, including last week against the Seattle Seahawks. I think there's a good chance it happens again this Sunday against a 49ers defense that ranks just 22nd in preventing TDs in the red zone.

Williams scored the first touchdown for the Chiefs last week, and it was just the first of three he would score against the Texans. There's no way the Chiefs start off as slow as they did last week, and I think they strike first -- and strike first with Williams.

If the Titans beat the Chiefs, then the game is going to go how Tennessee wants it to go. That means that Henry is going to have another magnificent game and the Titans are going to control time of possession. If the Titans win, then I don't see the over hitting.

1. As my colleague R.J. white points out -- though there hasn't been a clear ATS advantage for the home team (better seed) in the conference title games over the last decade, we should note that over the last 20 years, there have been 13 conference title matchups with a spread of seven points or greater. The underdog went 10-3 ATS in that stretch, most recently with the Jacksonville Jaguars covering in Foxborough two years ago. That makes it pretty difficult to lay the points in both matchups this week; I'd say at best you should think about taking either one or both 'dogs.

2. My good friend John Breech -- who was the only media member in the country who went 4-0 on his straight-up picks last week -- brought up this nugget in his picks piece: The good news for the Titans (and the 49ers) is that over past three years, teams that played on Saturday in the divisional round have gone 5-1 in the championship round. That's not a recent trend, either: Saturday teams have also gone 15-5 in the championship round over the past 10 years. Apparently, one extra day of rest can go a long way in the NFL.

I think it's very possible both underdogs could flat out win on Sunday. I even threw a little money on a parlay that includes Titans and Packers moneyline. Everyone is very high on the 49ers because they crushed the Packers in the regular season, but I'm just not convinced. Rodgers has won a Super Bowl while Jimmy Garoppolo is making his second ever postseason start.

Advantage teaser players are going to make the obvious play here and drop the favorites down through the key numbers of 7 and 3. But I would abandon that strategy this week, as I believe we're going to see at least one upset on Sunday. To me, the safer play is teasing the 'dogs both up to around two touchdowns, as I don't see either of these matchups being a blowout by the home team.

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NFL playoffs gambling guide: Locks, props, trends, what to avoid and more for the conference championships - CBS Sports

WANTED IN LACEY Time to help Lacey Police identify a gambling gas station robber who stole cash and scratch tickets from the Shell station on Martin Way E. on December 31st.

He came in there with a mask on his face, a backpack in his hand, gloves on his hands. Went to the cashier and told them to give him their money and some lottery tickets, said Lacey Police Det. Jon Mason. The investigation, so far, shows it may be someone whos associated with a homeless encampment in the area. We want to catch this guy really bad. We dont have any information on who he is, so if anybody can help us identify this subject, wed love to get him in custody.

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Detectives think the homeless encampment the suspect may be connected to is behind The Marq on Martin apartments.

If you know who the suspect is, use the P3 Tips App on your smart phone to submit the information to Crime Stoppers, or call the hot line at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477). It's anonymous and you'll get a cash reward if your tip helps lead to his arrest.

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Help ID gambling gas station robber who stole scratch tickets, possibly connected to nearby homeless camp - Q13 News Seattle

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) A Massachusetts casino reported its lowest monthly revenue in its 16-month history.

MGM Springfield's December gross gambling revenue was $18.9 million, down from $21.6 million a year ago. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission released its monthly numbers Wednesday.

The new numbers come amid concerns that MGM Springfield is losing out to an over-saturated gaming market and legalized sports betting opportunities in New York and New Hampshire, MassLive.com reported.

Overall, MGM has fallen short of promised revenue prior to its opening in August 2018. Regulators were told the casino would bring in an average of $34.8 million a month. Instead, the average over the first 16 full months was $21.54 million a month, with a high of $26.9 million in September 2018, its first full month of operations.

The president of MGM blamed the December numbers on the bad weather, though Encore Boston Harbor, another casino, reported an improvement in its gaming numbers from $47 million in November to $54 million in December.

Slots-only Plainridge Park Casino was $10.2 million in December, down a bit from $10.9 million in November. Year-over year, Plainridge was also down from $14 million in December 2018.

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MGM Springfield reports lowest month of gambling revenue - theday.com

HARRISBURG Gamblers placed almost $1.5 billion in wagers and generated $30 million in revenue for the state in the first full year of legalized sports gambling.

In December alone, gamblers wagered more than $342 million on sports bets in Pennsylvania, according to the Gaming Control Board.

The key reason for the Pennsylvanias year-end momentum is its growing roster of online sportsbooks, which combined to produce almost 87 percent of the states total December handle the amount wagered by gamblers, said Dustin Gouker, an analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com, a web site tracking the gambling industry.

That last two months of 2019 began to show us the real potential of the Pennsylvania market, Gouker said. Now that the online market is maturing, it is entirely possible that 2020 could bring in $4 billion or more in online and retail bets."

Pennsylvania will finish 2019 a distant third in total handle among all legal sports betting jurisdictions. New Jersey, the countrys No. 2, attracted $4.6 billion in bets in 2019. But Pennsylvanias haul in state taxes was more comparable to New Jersey, which generated revenue of $36.5 million. Nevada is still the top state for sports wagering revenue.

Pennsylvania is beginning to succeed where it wanted to most: making sports betting a significant revenue driver for the state, Gouker said. Its tax rate is significantly higher than every other state, which has slowed the industrys growth. But Pennsylvania is the most populous state to fully legalize sports betting, and that has proven to be too enticing for operators to ignore.

The Department of Revenue projected that sports wagering would generate $35.5 million in 2019-2020, said Jeffrey Johnson, a spokesman for the department. The state fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, rather than by the calendar year.

Sports wagering provided almost $21 million in state tax in the first six months of this fiscal year, he said.

The tax revenue from sports wagering, while still significantly more than the state had been getting earlier in the year, actually dropped in December, compared to November, as gamblers took home more in winnings, leaving casinos with less profit for the state to tax, Gaming Control Board data shows.

Decembers bets produced $17.5 million in revenue down from Novembers $20.6 million win. The states take in tax was $3.9 million in December, double what the state got in sports wagering tax in August, but still less than the $5 million in tax generated by sports betting in November.

Sports wagering winning and losing is going to be very volatile, said Doug Harbach, a spokesman for the Gaming Control Board.

Gouker called the problem as double-edged sword for states because when gamblers win more, theres less casino revenue to tax. But if gamblers dont win often enough, theres the chance that they will become less likely to continue placing sports wagers.

Richard Auxier, a researcher whos studied sports wagering for the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington, D.C.,said that when the public was first presented with the idea that sports wagering was going to be legalized, there was a lot of confusion about how much revenue would be generated.

Much of that confusion arose because people were fixated on how much people projected gamblers would wager.

Some of the exuberance might be chalked up to a misunderstanding of what is being taxed. In a widely cited number, the pro-gambling American Sports Betting Coalition estimated Americans illegally wager $150 billion a year on sports. But even if that number were correct and all of Americas illegal betting became legal and taxed, it would not produce much tax revenue, because only a fraction of it would be taxed, he said.

Thirteen states including neighboring states, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia have sports betting. Close to half the states either have legal sports wagering or there is legislation moving to allow sports wagering, Auxier said.

This isnt just states having dreams of big revenue scores. They know better, he said.

Where theres resistance, its not primarily driven by other factors than concern that the tax revenue from sports wagering hasnt been as impressive as people expected, he said.

In some states, tribal communities have lobbied against state-run sports wagering.

An Associated Press investigation found that tribes helped derail legalization efforts in Arizona, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington, he said. Lobbying from tribal communities stopped sports betting legislation from being introduced in California, Florida, and Oklahoma, he said.

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Gamblers bet $1.5 billion on sports in Pennsylvania last year - TribDem.com

TAPACUHLA, Mexico Honduran Katherine Cabrera is among thousands of migrants who didn't expect to get bottled up in this southern Mexican city, unable to proceed to the American border as planned, because of President Donald Trump's insistence that Mexico block them with troop deployments and whatever else the Mexicans could come up with.

New Mexican travel restriction rules required that Cabrera either go home with her newborn child or stay here in Tapachula to apply for Mexican asylum and await an outcome perhaps months in the future. Rather than return home as some have, though, Cabrera said she reached a carefully reasoned-out decision. She'll stay in Mexico and pursue that asylum claim in a calculated gambit: that Donald Trump will lose the November 2020 election and once the Democrats control the White House, they'll reverse everything Trump did and reopen the U.S. southern border so that she can finally breach it.

"I want Trump out!" Cabrera said. "I'll wait for that because it would make things easier to get in."

In this calculus and in their perhaps surprising savvy about national American politics and timing, Cabrera has plenty of company all over Tapachula, where thousands like her have been forced to pool up for long asylum process waits or returns home.

Dozens of politically woke migrants, like Honduran Wilson Valladaras, recently told CIS their decisions to stay in Mexico were predicated on the Trump-defeat gamble. Valladaras said he would wait for his Mexican asylum approval, move to Tijuana "until Trump leaves", and then cross over the U.S. border when the Democrats undo his policies because "right now, the Americans will throw you back" to Mexico.

Outside Tapachula's main detention center where they had to check in, CIS asked five migrant women to raise their hands if they had chosen to stay in Mexico to await the hoped-for Trump defeat. All did so without reservation.

Trump's demand that Mexico stop the mass migration or face debilitating tariffs prompted a variety of Mexican measures, includingNational Guard troop deployments blocking once relatively free and open migrant travel on road routes north and deportations of those who refuse to stay in Mexico and apply for asylum, or who don't qualify.

Along with the Trump administration's push-back "Remain in Mexico" for asylum policy (formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols), thousands have been left to the deterring circumstances of indefinite waits in Mexico, when the plan all along was always to get over the U.S. border by any means and then live and work illegally (most asylum claims by Central Americans are rejected for ineligibility, and economic motives are disqualifying). The result: Apprehensions at the U.S. border have declined 70 percent in a few short months, from 144,000 in May 2019 to a still-high level of about 40,000 in December.

But the Trump-defeat gamble offers a powerful hope and motive for some migrants to keep coming a 50-50 chance that the way over the U.S. border will clear once again in less than a year.

Across the Suchiate River border south of Tapachula, where thevast majority of migrants enter, lays the dusty, crime-infested town of Tecun Uman. There, the Catholic church offers the only sheltered layover, Casa del Migrante, for tired migrants to rest up for the river crossing into Mexico aboard rubber rafts. On a recent visit, CIS found the shelter full of migrants, but was only allowed to interview two who volunteered to meet outside.

One of the volunteers planning to cross the next morning with her two-year-old daughter was El Salvadoran Brenda Ramos. She was very well aware of the new Mexican policies that would trap her in Mexico, but said she decided to gamble the eight or nine months leading to the American election.

"A lot of people in El Salvador believe he [Trump] is the reason all this is happening, that he is selfish and cruel and doing everything he can to make us suffer," she said. "But once Trump is defeated and the Democrats take over, things are going to get better."

It wasn't immediately clear how many Mexican asylum applicants have stayed or gone home.

An office of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Tapachula provides bus passage and job leads for Tapachula migrants who have been approved for Mexican asylum, 5,000 in recent months, to other Mexican cities in the north, said its Public Information Officer Pierre-Mark Rene. He said to his knowledge, most of them just need jobs right now to sustain themselves and may well plan to start new lives in Mexico "for the long term".

But the UN's Rene, appearing uncomfortable when questioned about whether many were biding their time until the election, conceded that once working in northern Mexico, "they'll have to see their options."

Alma Delia Cruz, the head of the Mexican agency processing the claims (Comision Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados, COMAR) said nearly 70 percent of all claims in Mexico in 2019 were filed in Tapachula, about 44,000. Of those, she estimated an abandonment rate of about 40 percent. Many of those likely decided to go home after applying.

But of the remaining 60 percent? Cruz acknowledged they likely have no intention of staying in Mexico for the long term.

"None want to stay in Mexico; this is just their first chance to get into the United States, of course," she said. "I don't know what's on the minds of these people exactly, but the threats from Trump can't deter them from eventually getting into the U.S."

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U.S.-Bound Migrants Gambling on Trump Defeat in November - Immigration Blog

Crime

EL PASO, Texas -- Allegations of El Paso County Sheriff's deputies gambling using betting boards on county time surfacedTuesday.

Former deputy Joe Kluge initially made the claim in a social media post that Sheriff Richard Wiles was made aware of the gambling and turned a blind eye to it. He also alleged in an interview with ABC-7 that that high-ranking and command staff have participated in the scheme.

According to Kluge, "a current deputy lieutenant has been running a gambling scheme by selling Super Bowl squares at $350 a square."

Sheriff Wiles told ABC-7 that he's not aware of any gambling within the Sheriff's Office, and added that no formal complaint has been filed.

However, Kluge says he submitted information about the alleged gambling to the Texas Rangers, who in turn, turned the information over to the El Paso County Attorney's office.

Wiles says gambling is illegal in the state of Texas under penal code 47.3 and would be treated as an illegal activity even in his office.

Wiles adds that Kluge's allegations are politically motivated. He says he demoted Kluge several years ago for questionable behavior. Wiles indicated Kluge eventually resigned and took a job with one of his opponents running against him for sheriff of El Paso County.

Kluge adamantly denies his allegations are politically motivated.

The sheriff said he consulted with legal staff to make sure there is no ongoing investigation regarding illegal gambling.

Wiles tells ABC-7 that his office will be sending an email out to all of his employees reminding them that this type of activity is both a violation of the law and a violation of department policy, adding employees should refrain from it.

El Paso / News / Texas Politics / Top Stories

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El Paso County Sheriff accused of allowing deputies to partake in illegal gambling pools at work - KVIA El Paso

Ukraines legislature has approved a bill that would legalise gambling in the country in its first reading, with 260 of the countrys 450 deputies voting in favour.

The bill, 2285-D, was introduced by Oleg Marusyak as one of six alternatives to the reforms submitted by the Servant of the People Party-led government in Parliament in October.

Eastern Europe-facing operator Parimatch hailed the bill's passing its first reading, noting that legal gambling could boost the Ukrainian economy.

"The adoption of Bill 2285-D in its first reading is the first step towards creating a fair and transparent gambling market, which will in turn attract investment and introduce new technology to the country," Parimatch said.

"Once legalised, the market will create thousands of jobs, contribute to both state and local budgets, lead to an increase in tourism, and will help to counter corruption in professional sports. Also, the increased tax revenues generated will provide much needed funds to support culture, medicine, and sports in Ukraine."

Marusyaks bill includes a lower licence fee for online gambling than any of the alternatives, at UAH6.7m (212,800/249,500/$277,300).

The bill also includes a minimum licence fee of UAH41.7m for casinos in hotels with 200-250 rooms and a fee of UAH62.6m for casinos in hotels with 250 or more rooms. These licence fees will track the countrys minimum wage to adjust for inflation.

The bill would determine bookmaking licences through a system where each licensee would have the rights to open 5 bookmaking shops. 32 bookmaking licences would be available in Kyiv, 16 between Ukraines other large cities of Odes and Kharkov and a further 32 in the rest of the country.

The number of gambling machines is limited to 40,000 and players must be 21 to gamble, an increase from 18, which it had been in an earlier version of the bill which did not pass when read in December.

In addition, it proposed a register for self-excluded players and the distribution of responsible gambling information to staff.

The bill will now face a second reading, before which further details - such as the tax rate on gambling - may be worked out for inclusion in the final bill.

"Deputies in Ukraine shoulder great responsibility when preparing the bill for its second reading, which must meet the highest international standards for legalizing the gambling industry," Parimatch said.

"Parimatch is open to dialogue and working with lawmakers as part of the finalization of the bill. We are happy to share our comprehensive global expertise and knowledge gained over the years operating as a successful, internationally focused and responsible gambling company."

If passed at the second reading, it will be presented to President Volodymyr Zelensky and if signed will become law. Zelensky has pushed for legal gambling in Ukraine, ordering a new gambling bill in the country in September 2019 and putting his support behind Oleg Marusyaks law in December when it went to an earlier vote.

Zelensky previously threatened to strictly enforce the countrys existing anti-gambling laws if a framework for legal gambling was not adopted.

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Ukraine's parliament approves gambling bill at first reading - iGaming Business

The gambling industry is back under the spotlight after it was revealed that the bookmaker Betfreds owners make millions from a company that treats gambling addicts.

Following the news, the shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said the fact the company is simultaneously cashing in from betting and gambling addiction treatment is an unacceptable conflict of interest.

The owners of Betfred are the billionaires Fred and Peter Done. The Guardian has revealed that pair also own Health Assured.

That companys clients include multiple NHS trusts that treat gambling addicts from the public sector. Health Assureds website states that the NHS staff can access counselling for issues such as reckless behaviour, including excessive drinking or gambling.

The Dones have taken 5.2m in dividends from Health Assured in the past three years. They are also both Tory donors, handing 375,000 to the Conservative party since 2016.

The mental health chief of the NHS, Claire Murdoch, has written to the Gambling Commission to say the health service should not be left to pick up the pieces from gambling firms tactics to retain customers with addiction issues.

A government spokesperson said any public authority awarding a contract should also carry out its own thorough due diligence, including looking for conflicts of interest.

Health Assured said: All public sector contracts we have been awarded have thorough due diligence carried out before are they issued, including looking for conflicts of interest.

One of the UKs largest bookmakers, Betfred, has previously been criticised for its attitude to problem gambling and towards staff.

Last year, the gambling regulator weighed in after it introduced games that mimicked fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

Betfred, which had revenues of 728m last year, was accused of cheating on new rules after high-stakes roulette-style games were launched on the same day as restrictions on curbing fixed-odds betting terminals came into force.

The Guardian says the move was seen as an attempt to bypass a crackdown on the much-criticised machines.

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How Betfred makes millions treating gambling addicts - The Week UK

The roll of the dice.

It is back to work for statelegislators who are trying to solve problems around the county in their areas.While legalizing sportsbooks should not be considered a major problem, thereare elected officials who want to see sportsbooks coming to their states. In2020, this much is certain, there will be no discussion of legalizing sportsgambling in Utah as gambling is prohibited by law in the states constitution.Alaska, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming would have to change state law thatprohibits sports gambling. The states that have not enacted legalized sportsgambling can take up the question. Maine legislators agreed to a sports bettingbill in 2019 but Governor Janet Mills vetoed the bill. Georgia and Kentuckyelected officials are going to try and get a sports betting bill passed thisyear. A number of other states are in the same boat. Connecticut andMassachusetts lawmakers will for a third year in a row try to get a billpassed.

On the federal level, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer and Utah Republican Mitt Romney are trying to concoct a bill that could establish some federal rules for the states that have legalized sports gambling to enforce. There was an attempt in 2018 to get some federal guidelines on the books as retiring Utah Republican Orrin Hatch put forth The Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act of 2018, which would have required bookmakers to use official data that was provided or licensed by professional sports leagues in posting odds. Hatchs legislation went nowhere. Nevada got legalized sportsbooks in 1949.New York, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Arkansas, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Colorado and Tennessee have various forms of sportsbooks.

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States Without Legalized Sports Gambling Are Debating Whether To Allow Sports Betting - Sports Talk Florida