Washington, D.C. – American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Geoff Freeman released the following statement today ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which bans full-fledged sports betting outside Nevada:

“PASPA is a failed law that has driven everyday sports fans into an unregulated, illegal sports betting market that offers zero consumer protections and fails to benefit communities or strengthen the integrity of the sports we love. 

Much has changed in the 25 years since PASPA was enacted. Today, casino gaming is omnipresent, American attitudes toward regulated gambling are extremely favorable and there is a newfound ability to use data from legalized sports wagering to protect the integrity of games. For PASPA to remain the law of the land is to place our collective heads in the sand and willfully ignore criminal activity, the will of the people and the power of technology. 

PASPA’s days are numbered. The American Gaming Association is dedicated to working with the regulated gaming community, sports leagues and other stakeholders to finally provide sports fans with the wagering options and protections they desire and deserve.”

Background

PASPA will mark its 25th anniversary on October 28, 2017.

On December 4, 2017, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case challenging the federal sports betting ban.

Recently released research by Oxford Economics details the potential economic impact a legal, regulated sports betting market could have. The study concluded that legalizing sports betting in the United States could support up to 152,000 jobs, create an estimated $26 billion in economic output and generate up to $5.3 billion in tax revenue.

In June, AGA launched the American Sports Betting Coalition (ASBC), a collection of a diverse group of stakeholders dedicated to ending the 25-year-old failing federal sports betting ban. The ASBC unites law enforcement, states rights’ advocates, state and local policymakers and gaming industry leaders.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states.  AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry.  It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a path for growth, innovation and reinvestment.