US Politicians Joining The Fight For Legalized Sports Gambling

It took a while for the casino gambling craze to catch on in the US, but once it did, it spread around the nation like wildfire. Now, several politicians have voiced their opinion that sports betting should be next on the list of legalized gambling options.

Senator Raymond J. Lesniak filed a lawsuit on Monday morning challenging the federal ban on sports betting. Currently only four states have the right to offer sports betting, and Lesniak does not think that is fair.

He is joined in his opinion by many Senators in states from around the country. One Senator, Jeff Van Drew from his own state of New Jersey, praised the decision of Lesniak to move forward with the lawsuit.

"We have to recognize that gambling has evolved, and is much more than slot machines and blackjack these days," said Van Drew, "...we cannot afford to be naive about illegal sports betting. It's happening right now, and is funding other criminal enterprises which are far more dangerous for residents of this state (New Jersey)."

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was put in place back in 1993, and it gave all states the right to pass legal gambling legislation within a year. If they accomplished that, they would be grandfathered in to allow sports betting.

Only four states did so at the time, but as the economy worsens and gambling in general has become more widely accepted, many lawmakers believe that it is time to re-examine the 1993 law and make the necessary changes.

"If sports betting were subject to state oversight and taxation, that's money that could go into health care for senior citizens, improved education for our children and redevelopment for our aging communities,' said Van Drew.

March 24, 2009
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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