Illinois Considers Legalizing Sports Betting

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March 7th, 2019
Back Illinois Considers Legalizing Sports Betting

In May of 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled that sports betting was legal, but that it should be regulated on a state by state basis. Several have already taken the plunge and Illinois may be the next state to legalize sportsbooks in order generate revenue, which the great state in the Midwest desperately needs.

States such as Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon had preexisting legislation that was grandfathered in and excluded them from sports betting prohibition as a result of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, also known as the Bradley Act.

Since last year’s Supreme Court ruling

…there are now 8 states with full scale legalized sports betting legislation in place including Nevada, which recently set a record, New Mexico, Mississippi, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island. Both New York and Arkansas have passed recent bills regarding legalization, while 29 other states, including Illinois and its neighbor, Indiana, have introduced bills that are yet to pass through their state government.

Illinois Legislation

In January of 2018, Illinois introduced a Senate Bill called the, “Sports Betting Consumer Protection Act,” which would authorize sports betting or electronic sports betting in the land of Lincoln. Other sportsbook related bills were introduced in Springfield, IL, but there is yet to be a formal vote taken in order to pass this legislation and legalize sports gambling throughout the state.

Benefits of Legalization

Sports gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry, and the revenue generated through taxes on sportsbooks would provide much needed financial relief for other government programs like public education or increasing police presence in cities like Chicago where violent crime is an issue.

Betting on sporting events goes on illegally across the country and failure to legalize and regulate sports wagers just leaves a lot of money on the table. It also could aid in the reduction of violent crimes by bookies and loan sharks who don’t get paid on lost bets and are notorious for threatening or using physical harm to collect on debts.

Game Fixing and Scandals

Games have been fixed or manipulated by players, officials, and coaches in order to cover bets for years. Examples of this include point shaving, match fixing, and spot fixing. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest scandals in the world of sports gambling.

1919 World Series: The Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds took to the field in 1919. In this match fixing scheme, 8 players of the White Sox intentionally played poorly in order to lose the series in exchange for money from gamblers led by Arnold Rothstein, the kingpin of the Jewish mafia in New York City.

As a result of this scandal, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed as the first commissioner of baseball. Landis was given outright control over professional baseball to restore its integrity. 8 players were banned from baseball and all post career honors such as the Baseball Hall of Fame. These eight White Sox players included Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Fred McMullin, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Swede Risberg, and Happy Felsch.

Pete Rose: Known as the all-time hits leader in major league baseball, Rose played for and later went on to manage the Cincinnati Reds. Throughout his baseball playing and coaching career, he bet on baseball games in which he was involved. His gambling habits have caused him to be permanently banned from baseball including the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2007 NBA Betting Scandal: Former NBA referee, Tim Donaghy, bet on games in which he officiated according to an investigation by the FBI. He was apparently calling fouls or not calling fouls in order to manipulate the games in which he bet on. Donaghy pled guilty to 2 federal charges that resulted from the FBI’s investigation. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.

Michael Vick: Back in 2007, Vick was charged with and eventually convicted of illegal dog fighting at his home in Virginia. He and several others were breeding, fighting, and killing pit bulls to impact the results of significant bets known to reach up to $26,000 purses. He was sentenced to time in prison, but later returned to football to play for the Philadelphia Eagles after his release.

“Betting on sporting events goes on illegally across the country”

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