Opposing view: Court gives fans what they’ve been seeking

The Supreme Court’s decision overturning the federal ban on sports betting will deliver what millions of Americans have been seeking — a safe, legal and regulated environment to bet on sports.

Americans already illegally wager an estimated $150 billion on sporting events each year. By any standard, the federal ban failed. Miserably.

Today’s vast, underground market offers zero protections for problem gambling and zero safeguards for game integrity. Contrast that with the legal casino market, where the gaming industry invests more than $300 million annually to support responsible gaming programs.

Taking sports betting out of the shadows and making it open and transparent will give law enforcement, regulators and sports leagues new tools to shut down illegal gambling rackets. Technology and data analytics will also enable them to identify suspicious betting patterns in real time, offering far better protections for game integrity than we have today.

The gaming landscape has changed dramatically since the now-overturned ban on betting was passed in 1992. Gaming has expanded to 40 states. Today, professional sports leagues understand that wagering and game integrity can go hand-in-hand.

The Vegas Golden Knights are making a run at hockey’s Stanley Cup right from on the Vegas Strip. They’ll have company when the NFL’s Raiders move to Las Vegas in 2020. In fact, 81% of NFL teams play within an hour’s drive of a casino.

The Supreme Court’s ruling will not only allow Americans to embrace their passion for sports betting.

Through smart, efficient regulation, we also can finally create a betting market that protects consumers, preserves the integrity of the games we love, empowers law enforcement to fight illegal gambling, and generates new revenues for states, sports leagues and broadcasters.

Geoff Freeman is president and CEO of the American Gaming Association.