European Lotteries and NASPL to discuss sports betting synergies at Betting on Sports America

Members of the European Lotteries trade organisation have invited their counterparts in the US to their panels at Betting on Sports America to discuss their experience of the synergies between the traditional lottery product and sports betting.

The Joint Working Group is set to attract a number of the state lotteries and will be held during the Betting on Sports America conference on 23-25 April 2019 at Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey, which is being organized by sports betting specialists SBC (Sports Betting Community).

With individual American states now able to legislate for sports betting after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in May 2018, state lotteries have been exploring what this means for their position in the gambling landscape.

While some state lotteries have been tasked with running the sports betting operation, such as in Washington DC, other state legislatures have taken a different approach. However given the confusion caused by the re-interpretation of the Wire Act, which has left some lotteries questioning their ability to take business online, now is a vital time to explore the potential ways in which lotteries and sports betting can work in tandem.

Jari Vahanen of European Lotteries Sport Working Group commented: “Sports betting is obviously a new challenge for our colleagues in the US lottery business, so the members of European Lotteries are coming over to Betting on Sports America in order that we can share our experiences with them.

“Given the early stage of development for sports betting in most parts of the US, now is the perfect time for us to discuss the matter and Betting on Sports America provides an ideal opportunity.”

May Scheve, Executive Director of the Missouri Lottery and former NASPL President , added: “Sports betting is a new challenge for lotteries given that it is largely an unknown quantity at the moment. Betting on Sports America provides a perfect opportunity for lottery operators to discover more about sports betting and find out how our European counterparts work best with sports betting.”

SBC Managing Director Andrew McCarron added: “We work closely with the European Lotteries at our events in London, so when the chance came for us to offer them a forum at Betting on Sports America with which to connect with their US counterparts, we were happy to oblige.

“We are designing Betting on Sports America to be the ideal event for all existing and potential stakeholders in the US sports betting industry and given the key role that lotteries already play in each state, we are pleased to welcome them to join discussions.”

Betting on Sports America, held 23-25 April in New Jersey, is the largest dedicated sports betting conference & exhibition in the US. The conference boasts 175 leading industry speakers across 40 sessions, with 60 exhibitors displaying their latest products on the 61,000 sq ft exhibition floor at the Meadowlands Exposition Center. Delegates will be treated to world class hospitality with plenty of business and networking opportunities in New Jersey (Meadowlands Racetrack) and New York (40/40 Club and Sky Room Rooftop Bar). For more information about the event, please visit https://hubs.ly/H0gkhZx0