Fraternal Order of Police Fights for Legalization of Sports Betting

Policing illegal sports betting is not an easy task. Most Americans are not bothered about it so much. In fact, the activity is almost normalized in American society because chances are someone’s friend or family is doing it. While this is all good, the gains made from elaborate sports betting help the dubious organizations that run these operations fund more serious crimes.

The Fraternal Order of Police is a member of the American Sports Betting Coalition and has been closely working with other stakeholders to tackle the problem of illegal sports betting in the last couple of years.

The coalition discovered that the 25-year old Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which served as the federal prohibition that forbids sports betting was not only failing to stem illegal sports betting but was actually aiding it. The widespread illegal sports betting market which controls all sports betting operations function outside the law’s purview. There is no regulatory standard in place, no way to protect the game’s integrity and no safeguarding of the multitudes of Americans who place these wagers.

The Fraternal Order of Police and related legal authorities were pleased with the news that PASPA was removed from the laws governing the state by the Supreme Court of the United States. The American Sports Betting Coalition’s findings reaffirmed their belief that legalization of sports betting would bring about transparency and some semblance of regulation for the general public.

The authority was now handed over to the states to take a call on whether they would like to permit sports betting legally. As many states as Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi and West Virginia have assented to join Nevada as states that have a legal and regulated sports betting market. The consumer, data, wager and the integrity of the games are all protected by way of this process.

However, the striking down of PASPA is not enough to stop illegal sports betting in the country. Everyone invested in the operation either at the state or federal level, from the public/private sector need to join hands to do away with the illegal sports betting market.

What all this boils down to, is the fact that regulation of sports betting is best left to the states – as are other forms of gambling. Law enforcement organizations and other invested parties can collaborate to make sports betting a safe and legally transparent activity.