Legalized Sports Gambling

Gambling throughout the world of sports is very much present and everyone knows it; especially the government. The principal and most controversial problem with policy concerning gambling in sports is the subject of legalization. A main part of the problem is that it might be illegal in some places, but people are and will continue to gamble on sports either way. In a 2015 Washington Post article, Will Hobson provides that nearly $4 billion is legally bet on sports in Las Vegas yearly, while an estimated $80 billion to $380 billion is bet illegally “through a shadow industry of offshore betting houses, office pools, and neighborhood bookmakers.” The failed and lack of policies in sports gambling has led to major issues such as the loss of financial opportunities in regulating and taxing the sports gambling market, influential connection to organized crime, and a lack of transparency in the market resulting in potential loss of sporting integrity such as point shaving and match-fixing.

This act made land-based sports gambling in the U.S illegal. in all but four states including Montana, Delaware, Oregon and Nevada of course. The act has become controversial as of late with states like New Jersey wanting to implement legalized sports gambling. States are disputing that the act is unconstitutional because it goes against the voter’s desires in states that have voted in favor of sports