West Virginia bill to audit betting touts fails; Maryland effort still alive

Sunday, March 19, 2023 5:52 PM
  • Bennett Conlin, Sports Handle

A West Virginia bill (HB 3232) that would have created a system to evaluate sports betting handicappers and touts failed to pass through the Senate before the end of the state’s 2023 legislative session.

The goal of the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Clay Riley, was to add transparency to the industry. Which handicappers were acting in good faith? Which handicappers were misleading the public about their betting record?

“The people who are really good actors and doing good things and handicapping really well, they should be rewarded,” Riley told Sports Handle. “The people who are skewing results and not being completely honest, that’s not good for the industry.”