Our journalistic colleagues at SportsHandle.com bring you another round-up of news about the constantly changing face of the American sports betting sector.
Checking in on West Virginia’s Sports Betting Plans and Launch
Last we checked in on West Virginia sports betting, Governor Jim Justice forced a meeting between professional and collegiate sports leagues and team representatives, lawmakers, lobbyists and an intern on a power trip. It was quite a show.
But the real work is underway as the West Virginia Lottery is polishing rules and regulations for legal WV sports betting, as permitted by the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act that passed in March (SB 415).
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Pittsburgh Pirates Take Sports Betting ‘Integrity Fee’ to Whole New Level
The near-consensus among state lawmakers is that Major League Baseball’s and the National Basketball Association’s desire for a direct cut of sports betting revenue should go unfulfilled. League representatives have largely been met with skepticism if not outright hostility at many state hearings this year.
The leagues have rooted their justification for a “betting right” or “integrity fee” — one percent (or any percent) off the top — in a flawed intellectual property argument and, ultimately, what amounts to a request.
NFL Joins Chorus In Pennsylvania: Your Sports Betting Taxes and Fees Are Too High!
After spending most of its time on the sidelines, the NFL has inserted itself squarely into the conversation about what it wants legal U.S. sports betting to look like – both for itself and gaming operators.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board earlier this month received 14 letters from interested parties after its request for comment on the state’s temporary sports wagering regulations. Pennsylvania made sports betting legal in 2017 and is currently developing a framework to regulate the endeavor.
Full story is here.
Mississippi Rolls Out Regs: No ‘Integrity Fee,’ OK to Bet on Mississippi College Teams
The Mississippi Gaming Commission approved sports betting regulations Thursday and the state could open for business in as little as 30 days. The Magnolia State did not need to pass new legislation to make MS sports betting legal after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act on May 14. Rather, state regulators only needed to work with stakeholders and develop a framework.
Read about Mississippi here.
Rhode Island Sports Betting Bill Passes Senate, Awaits Governor’s Signature
All that’s left before sports betting can become legal in Rhode Island is for Governor Gina Raimondo to sign on the dotted line. Less than a week after the House passed the state’s sweeping appropriations bill, which includes 15 pages about sports betting, the Senate gave its stamp of approval passing S7200A on Wednesday. The House passed it 66-7, and the bill unanimously moved out of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday before reaching the full Senate floor.
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