USA’s Sports Betting Legalisation. What Does It Mean?
The United States Supreme Court’s decision in May 2018 made serious legal changes against the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The 1992 act generally banned sports betting in most states, making Nevada the only state where a person could wager on the results of a single game. After the Supreme Court’s decision, however, now all states have the option to legalise sports betting. The Court’s decision came in a case from New Jersey, which has been trying to legalise gambling on sports for years. Many states supported New Jersey’s argument that the Congress had exceeded its authority when passing the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. According to New Jersey even though Congress had the legal right to introduce laws against sports betting, it could not ask all states to follow the sports gambling prohibition. New Jersey’s fight to legalise sports gambling has been going for years and in 2012 the state challenged the Congress by passing its own law allowing sports betting. In 2014, the state made another attempt to prove its point by repealing laws prohibiting sports betting in casinos and racetracks. State residents can now even enjoy eSports betting online. However, once again, the state lost the case and took it to the Supreme court, which eventually decided that all states must have the option to choose whether or not they wish to legalise sports betting.
Mark Cuban’s Perspective on Sports Betting
A few months ago, the American businessman, investor and the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks participated in the Dan Patrick show and shared his thoughts on how gambling would affect the NBA and the sports industry. According to Cuban, the decision to legalise sports betting would be beneficial as long as the integrity of the game is kept and respected. He also claimed that the NBA and the sports industry, in general, would not be affected by sports gambling as it is already present in Europe and has shown generally positive results. However, Cuban also shared that there might be a need to establish stringent rules, especially when it comes to the NCAA and betting on individual games. According to the businessman, strict rules are necessary in order to avoid the occurrence of points shaving practice. He also shared that he has not been betting on sports in years but believes that the NBA would be excited about the sports betting legalisation. He stated that betting will enrich the in-game experience as most people enjoy sports gambling and find it entertaining. Cuban concluded his interview with a brief discussion on the eventual introduction of the technology to the sports betting and how there would most likely be an app that will allow fans to bet easily, even while interacting with their own TVs while their favourite game is being broadcasted. You can watch the full Mark Cuban interview in the video below.
Charles Barkley’s View on Sports Betting
The retired American professional basketball player Charles Barkley was also given the opportunity to express his thoughts on sports betting on the Dan Patrick show. We remind you that Charles Barkley is also famous for his gambling issues and that according to one of his interviews he has won and lost millions of dollars gambling. However, according to the basketball star, there is nothing wrong with gambling as long as it is done in moderation. In the Dan Patrick show, however, Barkley shared his thoughts on the legalisation of sports gambling. The former Suns star claimed that he finds the notion that people do not gamble on sports ridiculous. He also stated that it is unjust that one has to go to Las Vegas to wager on sports and that sports betting should have been legalised a long time ago. Furthermore, Barkley compared the sports betting to marijuana stating that the fact that it is legal does not mean that everyone will suddenly become a gambler. Generally, the former basketball star shared Cuban’s opinion on sports gambling stating that it would be beneficial to the sports industry as long as it is not exceeded, which he does not believe would happen. To watch the full Charles Barkley interview, please play the video below.
