Report says 18 states may attempt regulation

A new report predicted 18 states will introduce bills to regulate sports betting this year, with 11 having a good chance of passing one.

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, which tracks gambling legislation nationwide, said that’s just the minimum; the firm predicted more than 30 states could introduce sports betting bills.

The U.S. Supreme Court this year will decide a case brought by New Jersey that seeks to overturn a ban on sports betting in all but four states: Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon.

States listed as likely to introduce a sports betting bill are: Massachusetts; Rhode Island;

New York; New Jersey; West Virginia; South Carolina; Georgia; Florida; Illinois; Michigan; Iowa; Minnesota; Louisiana; Mississippi; Oklahoma and California. Indiana and Kentucky already have introduced bills. matches if the sport’s international governing body selects a joint North American bid.

The Baltimore Sun reported that the city’s Board of Estimates is expected to approve an agreement among FIFA, the United States Soccer Federation Inc. and Baltimore to host matches on Wednesday.

In June, FIFA will choose between a bid from Morocco and a joint bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico to determine the 2026 location of the international tournament.

The North American countries have submitted a list of 32 cities that could host games, which is expected to be narrowed to around a dozen.