Online Gambling News

With the election of Donald Trump as the American President, casino operators in the US are hoping to revive their bid to push legalization of sports betting once he’s sworn into the White House.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the American Gaming Association is looking for someone who will push for the overturn of the 1992 law that saw the ban on sports betting.

Of the fifty-two states, only Nevada, Montana, Delaware and Oregon are allowed by the federal law of Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act to offer bets on athletics competition. Data released by AGA showed that $149billion is placed annually on illegal sports bets.

Presidential Support

The bid which is set to begin on 20th January once Trump takes office has a good chance of being passed considering the president’s previous career as a casino operator. According to AGA senior vice president Sara Rayme, the bill has high chances of winning since Trump understands the business.

Trump, who supported legalization of sports betting in previous interviews, brought new hope on betting after he pulled a rather surprisingly victory in the race to the White House against the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

In an interview last year with Fox Sports 1, Trump said, “I’m okay with it because it is happening anyway. Whether you have it or don’t have it, you have it. It’s all over the place.”

A Stronger Merger

In addition to having Trump on their side, Rayme is banking on the momentum of the merger of daily fancy sports giants, DraftsKings and Fanduel. This new development gives them strength in their call for change.

The AGA, however, is still undecided on online sports betting legalization.

The issue they are campaigning for is different from online gambling, which is legal in three states. On this matter, the company splits whether people should be allowed to gamble online or not, with some notable players such as Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, against it.