The American Gaming Association said the decision to omit industry representatives from the first formal hearing into the practices of the regulated US sports betting industry left it “bereft” of knowledge about tackling the illegal market.
The US Senate Committee on the Judiciary held the first round of discussions on the “America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling” hearing.
David Rebuck, the former leader of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and a landmark figure in opening the US up to sports betting, was the only connection to the gaming industry present on the panel.
Rebuck, who has since joined gaming consultancy Integrity Compliance 360 as a special advisor, was joined by Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
Also present was Charlie Baker, the president of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), which wants individual states to ban proposition bets involving college athletes.
The AGA’s Joe Maloney, SVP of strategic communications, said: “Today’s hearing notably lacked an industry witness.
“This unfortunate exclusion leaves the Committee and the overall proceeding bereft of testimony on how legal gaming protects consumers from the predatory illegal market and its leadership in promoting responsible gaming and safeguarding integrity.
“We remain committed to robust state regulatory frameworks that protect consumers, promote responsibility, and preserve integrity of athletic competition.”
As reported by Legal Sports Report, Rebuck said in his testimony that illegal gambling existed before the 2018 repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which gave way to the regulation of wagering.
He said that before legalisation, “millions of people wagered billions of dollars annually through illegal operations, committed fraud, evaded taxes and many instances were tied to organized crime.”
Whyte of the NCPG said passing the Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment and Treatment (GRIT) Act is the “single most important action Congress can take to address the negative impacts of expanded sports betting and legalised gambling in general.”
“The evidence that expanded sports betting has led to increased harm on a national scale is overwhelming,” Whyte added.
“This rapid expansion and its accompanying harm demands a public health response based on prevention, treatment, and research partnerships amongst all stakeholders and everyone who profits from legalised gambling.”
