Apr14
National Council on Problem Gambling Announces the Appointment of New Vice President
Sports Betting Bill Includes First-Ever Federal Funding for Problem Gambling
December 24, 2018 Petar Mitrovic
There’s been a lot of talk lately that sports betting into the United States would be controlled by the federal government. US senators Orrin Hatch and Charles Schumer proposed the Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act of 2018…
…with the primary goal of protecting customers among other things.
What separates this bill from any other bill regarding gambling is that it includes provisions for Federal funding dedicated to problem gambling. These provisions are:
$5,000,000 to be appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction research
Consumers would be protected against disclosure as well as ments.
One part of the revenue collected from the existing Federal sports wagering excise tax would be dedicated to programs for the prevention and treatment of gambling disorder as well as law enforcement
People with gambling addiction will have a chance to use established self-exclusion service and sports betting operators in the states will be able to utilize to honor these requests for prohibiting personal bets
Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NG), said, “We thank Senator Hatch and Senator Schumer for their leadership in addressing problem gambling. This bill provides the first-ever dedicated Federal funding for gambling addiction prevention, research and treatment programs. These measures are a critical first step to addressing problem gambling across the country, balancing the costs and benefits of legalized gambling.”
Even though NG is glad to see this bill and they are fully ing the provisions, it took no position on the overall legislation and it remained neutral when it comes to legalized sports betting.
Leading Up to This
In May, 2018, the United States Supreme Court came up with the decision that changed the gambling industry…
…allowing states to legalize sports betting!
Since the decision, eight states have managed to come up with regulations and have ed Nevada which used to be the only state to offer such possibilities to the gaming enthusiasts. In 2019, over 30 states will consider the legislation, but according some estimates, eight will finish the process before the next year’s NFL season commences.
While the expansion of gambling is a good thing for the United States, The National Council on Problem Gambling warns that with a sudden spread of gambling opportunities, there will be a corresponding rise in gambling participation and gambling disorder…
…which is why significant steps need to be taken in a timely manner.
That is why the NG came up with the Safer Sports Betting Initiative which includes Responsible Gambling Principles for Sports Betting Legislation. This represents a set of standards that shields all three parties – individuals, legislators and gaming providers.
Doing it for Everyone’s Sake
Currently, the NG is conducting the National Survey of Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences that will give them insight into how the gambling expansion would affect everyone involved. Based on the evidence collected, the body will be able to come up with the proper response. Data is expected to be released in January next year.
Source:
“Bipartisan Bill on Sports Betting Includes First-Ever Federal Funding for Problem Gambling”, Cait Huble, ngambling.org, December, 20 2018.
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I’m not sure the federal government should get involved in all of this…the more people get into sports betting legalization, the complicated it will be for everyone.