United States Senator Orrin Hatch (pictured) from Utah filed his discussion draft last week as federal legislators continue to come to terms with a sector that is blossoming in the wake of May’s invalidation by the United States Supreme Court of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
The draft legislation would, if passed, permit wagers to be placed on professional and collegiate sports but require states to obtain official permission from the Office of the United States Attorney General before implementing any new laws or regulations on sports betting.
It would also supposedly compel operators to grade all of their wagers until at least 2023 using official league data and make blackmail, extortion and the placing of bets based on non-public information illegal under the Sports Bribery Act of 1964.
The American Gaming Association recently estimated that punters in the United States spent around $150 billion on sports betting in 2017 while the industry body’s Government Relations Vice-President, Chris Cylke said that Hatch’s proposed legislation is unnecessary.
“Since the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in May, the American Gaming Association has consistently maintained that federal legislation regarding sports betting is not necessary. That underlying position remains unchanged. At the same time, we remain committed to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with policymakers considering sports betting legislation at any level of government.”
