AGA's stated goal is the modernization of the Professional
and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which the industry strongly believes
would increase fan engagement and entertainment, empower law enforcement and
enhance the protections surrounding the integrity of all professional sporting
events nationwide.
"The stars are aligning to finally repeal this failing law — the
Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). At a time when
Washington remains deeply divided, sports betting has the support of Americans
of all political stripes," said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the
AGA. "Legal, regulated sports betting will enhance fan engagement and
entertainment, empower law enforcement and strengthen the integrity of every
game. Everyone wins."
AGA's Board of Directors adopted the following public policy principles:
1. Defer to states regarding the desirability of regulating sports betting as all forms of casino wagering.
2. Ensure the integrity of sports betting and sports through state licensing and regulation.
3. Make all sports betting businesses transparent to law enforcement.
4. Ensure a tax regime does not undermine regulated sports betting operations' ability to compete against illegal offshore operators.
This action comes on the heels of a recent AGA-commissioned
national survey by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (GQR), which shows that today's
sports consumer wants more engagement with the sports they follow. One area
where fans have shown a desire to engage more with sports is through legalized
sports betting.
Specifically, GQR found:
- Nearly six in 10 Americans are in favor of ending the federal sports betting ban to allow states to decide whether to offer sports betting.
- 72% of avid sports fans are in favor of ending the federal ban.
- More than six in ten 18-36-year-olds are in favor of legal sports betting.
- Nearly two in three Americans believe legalized sports betting would allow local communities to benefit from additional tax revenues and job creation.
- Were it legal to bet on sports, roughly 28 million Americans -the size of Texas' population- would be more likely to wager on sports.
These results show that Americans are much more likely to
watch, engage with and talk about sports when they bet on games. Further, the
research concluded that a majority of Americans, regardless of education,
income level, political party affiliation and geographical region, want to end
the federal ban on sports betting.
Source: GMB
