Many states have been eyeing the possibility of sports betting legalization in the past several weeks, ever since the Us Supreme Court made it clear that the gambling activity is no longer banned by the law. Iowa and the state Lottery, in particular, is one of the entities that is just now beginning consideration of sports betting offering across the state, which could bring benefits to the local economy and the community through taxes paid by the operators and cash allocated to various state organizations.
This May brought major change to the gaming field which took it by a storm and completely changed its direction of development. With the groundbreaking decision to overturn one of the oldest bans across the United States, SCOTUS made it clear that it is willing to welcome change and work towards the introduction of new gaming offerings if they have the potential to bring benefits to the field. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was issued in 1992 and ever since then, it has been imposing a ban on wagering on sports events.
With its help the field was stunned in its development and the only state that had the right to provide players with a fully-fledged sports betting sector was Nevada. As a result of the ban, the illegal sports betting operation was proliferating in many states and the revenue generated from their businesses was not invested back in the community, but instead sinking into the gray areas. Several states already launched legal sports betting operation and they are witnessing the considerable benefits when it comes to the revenue it is able to generate.
Next Year Could See Sports Betting Operation
Now the state of Iowa has announced its official decision to pursuit gambling on sports events as a possibility in the foreseeable future, which could happen with the help of the state Lottery. This week witnessed a special meeting dedicated to the potential legalization of sports wagering across the state. According to the discussions held at it, the state lawmakers are considering their opportunity for development and could propose a relevant framework for the future field next year.
It could be recalled that this is not the first time the topic has been subjected to a discussion on a state level. Lawmakers could not work out the rules regarding the potential sports betting field in time before the end of the session which is why they could commence work on them in January next year. There are 19 casino venues across the state and they are all prepared to welcome sports book ready for operation.
The month of June saw the greenlighting of a specifically designed document which would make it easier for the state Lottery to operate in the potential new field and explore its wide range of offerings. They are following the previously established organization which is currently applied in other states to the liking of Delaware, which operates limited sports betting with the help of its state Lottery.
Even though there is more time left until January next year, lawmakers are still weighing their options. Both casino operators and retailers have expressed their interest towards offering sports betting. Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer stated that in order to prevent illegal sports betting from taking place within the borders of the state, legalization should be introduced, thus providing players with a safe field which has their rights protected.
The following months are expected to bring more conversations regarding the potential legalization now that the state Governor Kim Reynolds has also expressed her support of the plans.
