The United States Supreme Court issues a ruling that struck down federal power over sports betting in every state on Monday. The decision will have a huge effect nationwide.
Supreme Court rules 7-2 to overturn federal ban on sport wagering. Each state will be able to decide. Lots of details to workout but massively significant day for sports/media in the United States.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) May 14, 2018
It's not just the act of wagering on sports that changes. Television ratings/media consumption predicted to skyrocket, especially NFL. Regular gamblers are heavy consumers. Now there should be many more of them.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) May 14, 2018
Adam Sites of SB Nation noted that sports betting will be available for consumers in a number of states within the next two years and many more after that. The NFL’s official stance is one of “wait and see”.
According to Tom Pelissero, the NFL’s PR team issued the following statement on the ruling.
The NFL’s long-standing and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our game remains absolute. Congress has long-recognized the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events. Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting. We also will work closely with our clubs to ensure that any state efforts that move forward in the meantime protect our fans and the integrity of the game.
The focus is on protecting the game from the harmful side effects of legalized sports betting. If the NFL can manage that and profit from the industry, then we could see players - along with ownership - profit immensely from this ruling down the road.
What do you think of this ruling?