Legal

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) announced on Tuesday that he will unveil a new set of policies that he hopes will serve as guidelines for what legal sportsbooks can and cannot do to attract audiences. The SAFE Bet Act will protect sports bettors amid the vast proliferation of the industry.

As Ali’s statement suggests, many politicians concede a variety of restrictions, such as betting on in-state colleges and universities, to control local gambling markets. However, the recent findings show that may be detrimental to the long-term safety of American gamblers.

The Alabama Senate Tourism Committee passed HB 151 and HB 152 but with numerous changes, most notably the total disregard for sports betting. They also reduced the number of possible tribal casinos to just three.

State Senators on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide the fate of sports betting at the November ballot. That came just one week after the Georgia Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee advanced it in hopes of bringing sports betting to the eighth-most populated state.

The Bill, known as the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act, would authorize mobile sports betting under the condition that all sportsbook operators partner with retail establishments. The vote ended 97-14 in favor of the bill, which will now head to a Senate committee before potentially becoming law.

A committee in the Peach State’s Senate approved SB 386, a pro-sports betting bill submitted by Sen. Clint Dixon (R-45). The bill will advance to the Senate Rules Committee and could reach the Senate floor by the end of the week if all goes well.

The announcement ended a lengthy period of build-up and anticipation as the state prepares to unify its retail gambling market with a new online branch. North Carolina retail sports betting was legalized in July 2019 and launched in March 2021 at select locations, but online sportsbooks have been prohibited from conducting business.

Senate Bill 124, presented on Wednesday, January 10, would allow both in-state residents and travelers to place wagers at legal sportsbooks on games involving local schools. That includes popular teams such as Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, James Madison University, and more.

North Carolina legalized online sportsbooks in June 2023, and is now processing license applications from sportsbooks. Gov. Cooper hopes to launch sports betting before March Madness. FanDuel, ESPN Bet, Bet365, and Fanatics signed partnership deals with North Carolina sports teams and venues.

After legalizing mobile sports betting in June 2023, Vermont sports betting will go live on January 11, 2024, with three authorized sportsbooks: DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics. The state adopted a conservative approach, to promote responsible gambling.