1. Why Is Sports Betting So Hard Drive
2. Is Sports Betting A Good Idea
3. Why Is Sports Betting So Hard Now
4. Where Is Sports Betting Legal

The bookmakers’ commission is one of the reasons why it’s so hard to win money by betting on sports. If we wagered on 50/50 shots all the time, we’d need to win MORE than half the time to make an overall profit. Assuming we were staking $100 each time, at odds of 1.91, we’d lose $100 for every losing wager. Betting is considered a part of entertainment for many people as they’re passing the time. The workload you might have, such as being on the work clock from 9-5, makes it hard to visit the traditional betting shops often. With an online sportsbook present, you’re able to bet efficiently and access any platform you like at any given time.

The last reason why this type of betting has proven to be extremely profitable is the fact that there are so many different games you can wager on. Every day, all around the world, hundreds of games are being played, and you can choose any of those matches to wager on. While it’s easy to see why most people agree that consistent is better, it leads to the question of how to win consistently at sports betting. This is the question that every sports bettor is looking for an answer to. And it isn’t an easy answer to find. Why Consistent Winning Is So Hard. Very few gamblers are able to win on a consistent basis. There’s Not a “Right” or “Wrong” Play. When you think about gambling in a casino.

One of the things we like to talk about the most at LegalSportsBetting.com is government regulated sports betting, which we are positive is coming soon. Yes, the Supreme Court has overturned PASPA (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, 1992), finally allowing any state in the US to offer its own legalized sports wagering industry. However, most states are still on the fence about whether or not to pursue this new market, and in some states, there are even various tribal compacts and other agreements that provide hurdles (if not total roadblocks) to instituting ubiquitous sports betting. It is our opinion (based on both financial reality and the fact that people ought to be free to spend their money on whatever safe, fun pastimes they wish) that all US states should regulate their own sports betting markets. If they do not – and do not do so quickly – there is a good chance that the federal government (the architect of the disastrous PASPA, remember) will step in and foist their own sports betting regulations on the states, potentially to the detriment of individual municipalities and even entire regions.

Sports Betting Is Extremely Popular In The USA

Betting on sports has grown from an occasional hobby to one of the most impactful economic activities in the world. Sports betting is a multi-billion dollar industry across the United Kingdom and in countries such as Spain, Australia, and Macau. In the United States, only Nevada and – so far – a handful of other states (like DE, MS, WV, PA, NJ, and a few others) – offer legal sports betting, leaving billions of dollars to be spent at offshore sportsbooks. Sports betting is extremely popular in the United States, and the lack of legal land-based options has not diminished the demand for the product in any way.

According to a report by UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research, the total amount bet on sports in Nevada from 1984 through 2018 was roughly $77.25 billion. If you add in the other post-PASPA legal betting states’ figures ($1.54 billion), you get a nationwide total handle of nearly $79 billion. While this may seem like a huge handle, it is peanuts compared to the “illegal” sports betting market. As a point of comparison to drive that point home, the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates that over $10 billion is wagered illegally (or via overseas sportsbooks) on March Madness every single year.

The same group also estimated that over $90 billion is wagered through the same avenues during the annual NFL and NCAA football seasons. This means that in over 30 years of effectively having a legal sports betting monopoly in the US, Nevada (plus the few states currently also offering sports wagering services) took in a total handle that US bettors regularly surpass in a single half-year of sports betting. In other words, at best, NV accounts for 2-3% of all US sports betting on an annual basis (though there is not yet enough data to tell how much of the existing market other states will take from local bookies and overseas sites going forward).

The figures above prove that by not expanding government regulated sports betting, the states of the US – and the federal government itself – are depriving their coffers of billions of dollars in potential tax revenue. Americans want to bet on sports, and their spending behaviors show that the activity will be continued (and continue to grow) with or without regulations. Now that PASPA is no more, it is time for states to overcome any obstacles that currently prevent them from regulating sports betting on their own soil.

Why Was There No Regulated Sports Betting In The USA?

Up until recently, outside of NV, there was no regulated sports betting in the USA. This is because PASPA, the 1992 federal ban on sports betting, disallowed state governments from being able to implement their own regulatory frameworks on the pastime. PASPA limited sports betting to only four states – Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware. These four states were grandfathered into PASPA due to pre-existing sports betting laws on their books. That said, only Nevada had legalized single-game wagering (aka full-service betting) at its sportsbooks, while the remaining three states had glorified sports-themed lotteries. After a short time post-PASPA, knowing there was no room for growth or increased profit (and due to various NCAA protests), these three states abandoned their meager sports betting products altogether, leaving NV with a monopoly.

Even with sports betting being effectively banned in 49 states, US sports fans still managed to wager at offshore sports betting sites. These sites are licensed in countries such as Costa Rica, Antigua, and Panama where remote sports betting is legal. As they operate outside of the United States, they are not subject to the limitations of PASPA or other federal laws (like the Wire Act of 1961 or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, both of which are solely focused on service providers and not bettors). While many of these sites are safe for US players to use, unregulated sportsbooks hold no accountability to operators, are not overseen by law enforcement, and there is an absence of consumer protections. That’s not a problem for the best online sportsbooks in the business, as each of these has been operating for nearly three decades and has earned its lasting reputation on fair lines and timely payouts, but the vast majority of the thousands of available online sportsbooks don’t fit that bill and are exceedingly risky to use.

Reasons To Regulate Sports Betting In The USA

Regulating sports betting in the United States presents benefits from state, federal, and consumer standpoints. One main argument against PASPA was that it violated the constitutional rights of the states (the 10th Amendment specifically and the traditional “Equal Sovereignty Doctrine” generally). A report by the Competitive Enterprise Institute explains exactly how the ban on sports betting undermines the 10th amendment by infringing on state sovereignty. With all other forms of gambling (casino gaming, poker, horse racing betting, etc.), states have been able to determine legality and regulation. Allowing state-government-regulated sports betting would restore power where it arguably belongs.

Numerous research studies and reports have shown the economic impact that government regulated sports betting markets would have on their respective states and the US itself. GamblingCompliance, an international gaming research firm, projected that a US betting market with legal casino, online betting services, and retail betting locations would produce up to $5.2 billion in annual tax revenue. Tax revenues could, in turn, be used for education programs, healthcare, and other public services in each state where sports wagering is supported. In terms of overall economic impact, Oxford Economics estimates that legal sports betting would generate $21.9 to $26.6 billion dollars. The estimate accounts for the aftereffects of the money spent by consumers on sports betting (i.e. money spent on ancillary services and money put back into the local economies in question).

Sports enthusiasts want more legal sports betting options for their enjoyment, but there are consumer advantages that would address other issues in the industry. Many of the sports leagues have argued that the widespread regulation of sports betting would damage the integrity of the games. In reality, regulated bookmakers would be more incentivized to report any questionable betting behaviors or corrupt practices, and they would be infinitely more scrutinized as a matter of course than black market or gray market bookmakers. Without regulation, there is no line of communication between offshore online sportsbooks and law enforcement (albeit, again, the most reputable offshore books do not engage in match-fixing or betting fraud of any kind). Regulated US markets would also make it easier to handle the issue of problem gambling. The government would be able to establish programs that better monitor problem gaming patterns and also implement more effective treatment protocols.

Current Initiatives For Legalized And Regulated Sports Betting

Though the options to bet on sports in the United States are still limited, proponents of government-regulated sports betting have been taking legal action to push the agenda. The state of New Jersey wrapped up a six-year push to establish legalized sports betting within its borders. Starting in 2011, the state has doubled down on its attempts to pass sports betting laws, all of which were struck down at the circuit court level. Finally, however, NJ got its PASPA challenge picked up by the Supreme Court, which expectedly found the law to be wildly unconstitutional, thus overturning it and opening the door to state-by-state sports betting legalization.

After New Jersey’s successful challenge, the burden fell on individual states to pass their own legal sports betting legislation. Many have risen to that task already, and 18 states now have fully operational sportsbooks, and five more have legalized sports betting but not yet launched it. Many more states have begun considering adopting legal sports betting, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the process of legalizing a new industry is long and difficult.

Legal sports betting means massive tax collections for states, which has become a big incentive in the post-coronavirus budget crisis. Online betting in particular is a potentially lucrative market, as demonstrated by Colorado’s recent success with its nascent sports betting market. It would be surprising if a good number of states don’t move to legalize sports betting quickly once the 2021 legislative session begins. Legalizing sports betting allows for more consistent tax revenues, more resources toward ensuring responsible gaming, and fairer rules for bettors.

Could There Be A New Federal Sports Betting Law?

Absolutely, there could be a new law for regulated sports betting in the USA at the federal level. While unfettered state regulation is the best option, there has been movement in the US Congress to further regulate gambling at the federal level. Multiple bills have been proposed, but at this point, the government has better things to do. The cat’s out of the bag, so to speak.

Hopefully, the state representatives in the US House and Senate have learned their lesson and will work to protect their states’ interest, rejecting any such federal proposal. At this point, there are so many states with legal sports betting options that it seems very unlikely that anything actually happens on the federal level in 2021.

What Can I Do To Get Legal Sports Betting In My State?

In most states, legal sports betting can be achieved simply by lawmakers passing a bill through both legislative chambers and then getting that bill signed by the governor. As a citizen, you can call and email your local representatives to let them know this is something you want. The more interest they see from their citizens, the more likely they are to take action.

Will I Still Be Able To Use Offshore Sports Betting Sites After My State Legalizes Sports Betting?

From what we’ve seen so far, yes, you will still be able to use those sites. No bill that has been signed into law yet has put a ban on using these types of sites or has even mentioned them at all. Using these sites to shop lines will still be an option even when your state has online sportsbooks of its own.

Why Are Lawmakers So Slow To Adopt Legal Sports Betting?

The answer depends on the state. In some states, there is strong opposition from influential groups, like the Mormon Church’s anti-gambling efforts in Utah. In other states, legislatures are slow to adopt sports betting legislation because that’s simply the nature of the legislative process. Passing a bill through two houses of Congress and getting it signed by the governor when all three of those parties likely have different goals is extremely difficult. But even curmudgeonly states like Washington have begun to figure it out, and experts expect two-thirds of states to have legal sports betting by 2022.

Why are Offshore Sports Betting Sites Legal to use in the US?

Due to these sportsbooks being based in foreign countries, they are outside the jurisdiction of US law. There is not law prohibiting a US resident to use these websites, only to operate them. The offshore sportsbooks are legal in their country to operate and accept US customers.

Can I Run A Legal Sportsbook In My State?

In the United States, it would depend on what state you are in to legally run a sportsbook. This is because since the repeal of PASPA, states are allowed to decide individually whether or not sports betting is legal and how the industry will work. The best thing to do is to contact your local attorney to determine if it is legal to run a sportsbook in your specific location. You could also try and contact your state’s gambling aouthority or commision and ask. There are different rules and regulations in each area, so it is important to do your research and get accurate information to avoid any legal consequences.

Is There A Difference Between Offshore Sportsbooks And State-Sanctioned Sportsbooks?

The only real difference between offshore sportsbooks and state-sanctioned sportsbooks lies in the location of the operators. Each are both legal ways for sports bettors to gamble on sports. Of course, there will be a few minor differences outside of location like offshore books being accessible through a phone’s search engine while state books offer apps for their sports wagering platforms. The selection of events is also different as offshore sites tend to offer more games from all over the globe that are open for wagers and like with any sportsbook comparison, the odds on bets will vary based on operators’ calculations.

SBTech is going to great lengths to keep its arrangement with the state of Oregon under wraps.

The European gaming supplier is suing multiple entities to keep private the financial details of its monopoly online Oregon sports betting operation.

Earlier this month, the Oregon Department of Justice approved a public records petition granting Legal Sports Report the right to inspect the contract between SBTech and the Oregon Lottery. It is that partnership that powers the new Scoreboard app, which launched in October.

SBTech refuses to follow Oregon AG order

Rather than disclosing the terms of the contract as ordered, though, SBTech filed suit against everyone involved.

Listed as defendants alongside LSR are the state DOJ, the lottery, and The Oregonian, which submitted its own petition separately. That means SBTech is suing both media outlets, and its partner and regulator for Oregon sports betting, too.

The company, based in Malta, has made regular appearances in the recent headlines thanks to its pending public merger with online gaming heavyweight DraftKings.

How much is SBTech making in Oregon?

In an April 2019 procurement memo (which has since been removed from its website), the lottery indicated that SBTech would receive 9%-11% of its revenue from sports betting.

Why Is Sports Betting So Hard Drive

That is, so far, the only public insight into the revenue-sharing agreement between the parties. And being smaller than the vendor share in the two most-comparable markets — Rhode Island and Delaware — it piqued interest.

The financial reports, however, appear to tell a different story.

For November, records show that the Scoreboard app generated $943,687 in revenue. After $650,000 in direct expenses and another $600,000 indirect, however, the state lost $307,000 for the month.

In fact, total losses since launch exceed $2.2 million despite more than $1.1 million in gross revenue from the Scoreboard product.

Is Sports Betting A Good Idea

A petition for transparency

LSR began seeking transparency in November, initially via informal requests with the agency.

The lottery did provide portions of the unredacted contract, though it withheld nearly six full pages related to fees and payments as trade secrets. Along with the revenue-sharing structure, the redacted portions curiously include definitions for common industry terms.

The appeal ended up in the hands of Deputy Attorney General Frederick M. Boss, who ordered full disclosure on Jan. 3. The lottery subsequently dropped its claims, leaving SBTech alone in opposition. The vendor asked the court to intervene seven days later, seeking a preliminary injunction preventing disclosure.

Judge David Leith issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Jan. 10, the day the contract was due to be released.

SBTech claims contract includes ‘trade secrets’

The crux of SBTech’s argument is that disclosing the terms of its agreement with the Oregon Lottery would put it at a competitive disadvantage in the young US sports betting market. In fact, it goes so far as to claim “irreparable economic harm.”

The company further argues that it bid for a public contract under the assumption of confidentiality. And, according to SBTech, disclosure would actually “cause public harm” by disincentivizing other vendors from offering favorable prices to state agencies.

From the motion:

SBTech provided the Proprietary Information to the Oregon State Lottery as part of a confidential bidding process. If a party cannot trust that its secrets will be protected when that party attempts to do business with Oregon state agencies, then the willingness of future companies to provide such information will be suppressed. Oregon taxpayers will suffer.

The company’s refusal to comply with the Attorney General’s order for disclosure will bring the parties together in court in Salem. The hearing has not yet been scheduled, as SBTech appears intent on sending CEO Richard Carter to testify in person.

Public contracts subject to disclosure

LSR based its arguments on a plain-language reading of the Oregon Public Records Law and the Uniform Trade Secrets Act.

The former, most notably, provides that “every person has a right to inspect any public record” in Oregon. The state considers such requests for disclosure under a statutory presumption of transparency, putting the burden to prove an exemption on the record holder(s).

There are, of course, valid exemptions to protect legitimate trade secrets like proprietary formulas and procedures. Pepsi, for instance, shouldn’t have to reveal its recipe just because it enters into a public contract. Neither should the law compel companies to divulge trade secrets contained in private contracts.

But this ain’t Pepsi …

As LSR argued, though, basic terms like “gross gaming revenues” do not meet any reasonable definition of a trade secret. And even granting inclusion, such a categorization would not automatically guarantee privacy. Agencies like the lottery are directly accountable to the public interest and subject to near-full transparency.

From our petition:

Why Is Sports Betting So Hard Now

State agencies should rightly be held to a high standard when it comes to procurements; contractual agreements with third-party vendors directly impact the allocation of taxpayer dollars. It is particularly important for the Lottery to operate with full transparency, as it is responsible for operating publicly owned games that generate large sums of revenue used to fund critical State programs.

Put simply, it should not matter whether or not SBTech wants the financials withheld — or even if they qualify as trade secrets. Once its bid becomes an active contract with a state agency, it is subject to public scrutiny.

The DOJ, which will argue the matter in court, makes a similar case in its own response filed last week.

Where Is Sports Betting Legal

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