Editorial Calls for Legalized Sports Gambling in US
An editorial this week in the Los Angeles Times repeated what has been a common thread among media coverage of the Delaware sports gambling debacle: the practice should be legalized and regulated across the US. Many reporters have called the NFL and other sports leagues disingenuous for opposing sports betting, and now the Times makes the case to follow the example of the UK and tax sports wagering.
The Times piece underlines the point that sports betting in the US already involves hundreds of billions of dollars annually, only a tiny fraction of which is placed at legal, regulated Las Vegas sports books. As governments seek new revenue without increasing taxes, regulating sports gambling seems an obvious choice.
Also noted is the peculiar opposition by the NFL and its cohorts in the Delaware lawsuit to sports gambling. The popularity of sports betting parallels the growth of professional and college sports. Yet the leagues insist legalized gambling on their events would create a loss of public confidence in integrity, something the mass of illegal gaming somehow avoids.
"It's time to give the federal ban the boot. This is one of those deals where the people have spoken through their actions," says the newspaper. "And the people, tens of millions of them, clearly like the thrill of the gamble. To restrict it simply goes against the wishes of too many."
The participation of US sports leagues in fantasy sport gambling and lottery sales shows that gambling is becoming a part of their everyday operations. Now, according to the Times, its time to end the hypocrisy and legalize sports betting nationwide.
