With football season in full swing, the American Gaming Association is estimating that fans across the country will bet $90 billion on games this season. However, $88 billion – or 98 percent – of all bets will be made illegally thanks to a federal government ban.
Concern over the wild popularity of illegal sports betting brought together a broad group of law enforcement officials to discuss and examine the issue at a Law Enforcement Summit in Washington, D.C. this summer.
As a result, the AGA’s Illegal Gambling Advisory Board released today a new report calling for Congress to repeal the federal ban on sports betting and replace it with rigorous regulation.
“The current approach to sports betting in the United States is not working; instead, it’s fueling criminal enterprises,” said Tim Murphy, former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and chair of the advisory board. “The time has come to repeal the current sports betting ban and replace it with rigorous regulations that benefit states, protect consumers and maintain the integrity of the games.”
The Illegal Gambling Advisory Board makes a compelling case that will capture the interest of lawmakers on Capitol Hill and demonstrate why it’s time for legislative action. No voice is more important than law enforcement to make clear the perils of a thriving illegal sports betting market – and why prohibition is failing.
This prominent group of leading law enforcement officials issued five conclusions as part of the “Law Enforcement Summit on Illegal Sports Betting: After-Action Report:”
- Current U.S. Approach To Sports Betting Is Failing
- Illegal Sports Betting Fuels Criminal Enterprise
- Open, Transparent, Regulated Sports Betting System Boosts Law Enforcement Oversight
- States Must Play a Central Role
- Time to Repeal Federal Sports Betting Ban
In addition to funding violent crimes, cheating states of potential revenue and keeping fans from betting on their favorite teams in a safe, transparent marketplace, the ban is also depriving NFL broadcast partners and advertisers of significantly greater revenue through higher ratings and uniquely engaged viewers.
Released last week, a new Nielsen Sports study showed that adults who bet on the NFL watched 19 more games in the 2015 regular season than adults who did not bet at all – more than an entire season’s worth – and generated more than double the ratings across the major broadcast and cable networks compared to average American adults.
Sports betting will also be a major focus at this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E). NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern will discuss the future of sports betting, its impact on major professional sports and how the NBA’s expansion parallels growth of the casino gaming industry. Further education opportunities around sports betting for attendees include panels on the integrity of sports, eSports and mobile betting.
Led by our partners in law enforcement and a broad coalition of stakeholders, AGA will continue to push for a common-sense approach to sports betting that creates opportunities for gaming companies to thrive and gives fans what they want. A legal, regulated sports betting marketplace would be a win for states, leagues, communities, sports fans and our industry.
