Ohio legislators and stakeholders will join several national sports betting and gaming industry executives to discuss the potential for an increase in problem gambling as sports betting continues to expand nationally, and the need to prepare solutions for those problems, at the third annual Summit on Sports & Gambling, July 18th at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown.
The Summit, part of the larger four-day 32nd National Convention on Problem Gambling, will also touch on the potential threat to athletes because of gambling problems and the need to ensure game integrity.
Organizers said the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in May to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) means that the United States now faces potentially the biggest expansion of legalized gambling in its history. The major professional sports leagues have drastically shifted their attitudes toward sports betting, and dozens of states have already passed, or are planning to pass, sports gambling bills.
“The Summit brings together leading experts to provide the latest updates on political and policy developments in sports betting,” Keith Whyte, National Council on Problem executive director, said in a statement. “Attendees will be able to critically evaluate the implications of the expansion of sports betting and utilize tools, such as our Sports Betting Responsible Gambling Standards, to build a safety net in their jurisdiction.”
Sessions will be held on topics ranging from updates on legislation and regulation, what lessons other states can learn from Las Vegas, and whether or not the legalization of sports betting will increase problem gambling. Specific sessions already scheduled include College Athletes and Gambling Addiction; Protecting Integrity and Preventing Addiction; and Young Athletes & Gambling Problems.
The summit will be opened by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge and retired Cleveland Browns linebacker Dick “Bam Bam” Ambrose, who will give his opinion and observations on the human side of sports betting and professional sports.
Among the 20 additional presenters are representatives of the American Gaming Association, Gambling Compliance, Global Market Advisors, International Center on Youth Gambling and Risk Behaviors, Major League Baseball, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Sportradar.
The conference is hosted by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio and is supported by the Ohio for Responsible Gambling partners, which include the Ohio Lottery Commission, Ohio Casino Control Commission, Ohio State Racing Commission and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The full agenda of sessions for the Summit on Sports & Gambling can be found at https://www.ncpgambling.org/training-certification/summit-on-sports-gambling/.
