PASPA may be gone, but new proposals for continued federal oversight are coming into full focus.
Federal Impact on States
The repeal of the federal PASPA prohibition left it to the states to decide on a case-by-case basis if and when to allow gambling on sports in the form of sports betting.
The BOSA Code
Reports are that a code known as BOSA stands ready to promote optimized federal oversight of US sports betting.
BOSA aims to protect the integrity of US sport in this new era through a unified requirement of sportsbooks to use only official sporting data from the professional leagues to inform odds and advanced betting offerings, despite the fact that Nevada has run successfully offering its own data until now.
Individual Regulation Capabilities
The greater question begged of whether sportsbooks are capable of regulating themselves will be the hot potato subject in April at the biggest sports betting event of the year: Betting on Sports America where special panels are set to critically discuss the extent of involvement and implications of the federal government with operators moving forward.
About Betting on Sports America
Already the largest sports betting conference and exhibition in the world, Betting on Sports America will offer 175 leading industry speakers across 40 sessions and 3 conference rooms, with a 61,000 sq ft strong exhibition space bringing delegates networking and business opportunities.
Expert Speaker
Expert speakers in favor of federal involvement include respected journalist and Catena Media Head of Content Dustin Gouker who calls for a limited form of federal intervention that would oversee the apprehension of illegal operators, in support of the “limited” resources the states have to “combat competition from offshore.”
Welcoming Federal Involvement
The general feeling is that part of moving on from the PASPA era is engendering the assistance of the federal government as partner in implementing safe and effective sports betting, especially when the topic now remains more controversial from two sides.
Sides of Polarization
The one side is the original supporters who are concerned about protecting the US citizenry from their vices and addictions. The other side resists any government intervention in light of the precedent of previous successful state self-regulation on the part of the state in Nevada, the one state which was previously exempt from federal gambling and betting prohibitions. At this point though anyone holding onto extreme views on either side of the federal regulation fence seems to be missing the point.
Outlook
It happened fast, but the PASPA repeal is ushering in a new era of gaming and access, with NBC sports already committed to integrating in-play betting into its sportscasts moving forward.