Sen. Orrin Hatch, the author of this restrictive Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which was struck down as unconstitutional this week by the US Supreme Court, has disclosed he’s focusing on a new legislative proposal to call Congress in the regulation of this sector, whilst respecting individual states’ rights to pass their own laws.
In a press statement Tuesday, Hatch said he plans to introduce legislation in Congress made to reassert federal influence over the industry, which is expected to thrive as individual US states implement their own sports gambling laws.
The statement notes:ldquo;At stake here is the integrity of sports. That’therefore why I plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to help protect principle and honesty from the athletic arena. ”
“Congress will grab this chance to establish fundamental standards for sports gambling that will uphold the ethics of this game,” the press release added, emphasising the requirement for the security of consumers, problem gamblers and minors, but respecting the rights of US countries to determine whether to implement their particular intrastate legislation.
The senator revealed his disdain for Internet action by commenting:
“The rapid rise of the web means that sports gambling across state lines is currently just a click away. We can’t permit this practice to proliferate amid uneven enforcement and a patchwork race to the regulatory base. ”
Whilst the brief statement was short on detail, most industry observers concluded that Hatch’s intention appears to be to establish federal regulations and standards for liberalised sports gambling, which has now become a fait accompli following the Court’s conclusion.
The Supreme Court does not appear to have put any impediments on Congressional involvement, finishing: “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act by itself. ”
In related news, important sports leagues in the US which have for decades vehemently opposed New Jersey tries to liberalise the sports gambling industry, waded in with pleas for civic participation following the (for them) negative Supreme Court discovering.
The largest of these championships, the NFL issued a statement declaring:
“The NFL’s longstanding and unwavering dedication to protecting the integrity of our game remains intact. Congress has long recognized that the potential harms posed by sports gambling to the ethics of sporting contests as well as the people confidence in these events. Given that background, we mean to call on Congress again, this time to reevaluate a heart regulatory frame for legalized sports gambling. ”
Around 14 US states, notably large regions like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have either already created or are in the process of creating legislation to empower intrastate sports betting.
