Legalized sports betting unlikely in 3 largest US states
by Associated Press
March 02, 2019 08:30 PM Over the past decade, teams from California, Florida, or Texas have competed in more than half the championship series in the four major professional sports — including every NBA final.
That may be no surprise, considering the three states account for 27 percent of all franchises in those leagues. The sheer number of teams and their relative success make them fertile territory for legalizing sports gambling now that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed every state to offer it.
"These states are the brass rings given the size of the populations and the potential opportunity," said Sara Slane, a spokeswoman for the American Gaming Association.
So far, that ring remains elusive.
A 50-state review of sports gambling legislation by the Associated Press reveals that legalization efforts are nonexistent or very unlikely to happen anytime soon in the nation's three most populous states, which together hold more than a quarter of the U.S. population.
The reasons vary. In California and Florida, powerful tribal interests that control most casino gambling are reluctant to reopen their agreements with the state and potentially share the gambling market with other players, including card rooms and race tracks.
In Texas, a combination of political clout from out-of-state casino interests and social conservatives who are morally opposed to gambling have effectively killed any prospects for legalized sports betting.
In all three states, any attempt to allow sports gambling would likely require a statewide vote to amend the constitution — a high hurdle for any issue, much less an expansion of gambling.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/legalized-sports-betting-unlikely-in-3-largest-us-states
