Murphy’s Law: How to Avoid Going Wrong with Federal Regulation of Sports Gambling
Savannah Malnar | 23 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L. 161 (2021)
Sports betting plays a major role in how fans and spectators enjoy sports. Fans place bets in their living rooms, engage in online fantasy sports, and travel to Nevada for massive Super Bowl parties just for the thrill of wagering on the “big game.” Yet, until 2018, the federal government banned sports betting, making states unable to exploit this lucrative business, even though the sports betting industry estimates that billions of dollars are spent on illegitimate sports wagering. With the recent striking of the federal ban on the regulation of sports betting, states have begun to benefit from sports betting within their own borders, creating a patchwork of legislation that operators must navigate. But state-specific legislation does not fully solve the problem of unregulated and untaxed interstate gambling that is still bound to occur. To take advantage of untaxed revenue and protect citizens who might otherwise explore illegitimate and unsafe betting options, this Note argues the federal government must enact comprehensive laws legalizing and creating rules specifically for interstate sports betting operators.
AUTHOR:
Savannah Malnar