One of the most influential members of Congress has something to say about more and more states, including New Jersey, allowing legalized sports gambling.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is imploring for sports betting to get a federal structure … ASAP.
In a memo sent to ESPN on Wednesday, Schumer recommends that all sports books — physical and online — be required to use official league data for outcomes and that the leagues should directly oversee the bets that be allowed in the first place. He is additionally recommending that leagues be paid via a portion of the bets on their respective sports as a method of compensation for the additional security fees that they’ll have to shell out due to sports betting being legalized. Hmm … would the latter be fair?
Schumer might have felt pressed to weigh in on the matter, considering how quickly the legalization of sports betting has gone in the U.S. Since the Murphy versus NCAA decision in May did away with the federal ban on sports betting, Delaware, New Jersey and Mississippi have all jumped into sports gambling.
“As a New York sports fan — especially my Yankees and Giants — and a senator, my priority in the wake of the Murphy v. NCAA decision is making sure the integrity of the games we love is preserved, that young people and those suffering from gambling addiction are not taken advantage of and that consumers that choose to engage in sports betting are appropriately protected,” Schumer said in a statement, as reported by ESPN. “With the Supreme Court’s ruling, it’s incumbent on the federal government to take a leadership role and provide the necessary guidance to prevent uncertainty and confusion for the leagues, state governments, consumers and fans alike.”
The involvement of the federal government and sports leagues themselves in sports betting may turn fans off and pave the way for a lot more red tape to sift through than they would have ever wanted to deal with. But Schumer inferred that it might be the only way.
“The stakes are too high — legal sports betting laws must be crafted and executed in a careful and thoughtful way,” Schumer continued as part of his lengthy statement about sports gambling. “As state legislatures develop new legislation in the weeks and months ahead, I hope they will take these principles under consideration. I also support the efforts in the Congress to debate and develop bipartisan federal legislation that would adhere to these principles. The integrity of sports is too precious to not protect as best we can.”
In addition to recommending that leagues be involved with legalized sports betting, Schumer also suggested more common-sense ideas be put into law such as banning anyone under 21-years-old from gambling on sports in any state.
Do you think sports gambling falling under federal guidelines with involvement from the leagues will sap the fun from those wanting to wager?
