NFL and NBA affirm proposed betting regulations
However, they raised concerns over sports betting advertising bans.
Both the NFL and the NBA have weighed in on a recent bill introduced in Congress regarding wagering restrictions, according to an ESPN news report.
Sources familiar with the leagues’ positions shared with ESPN that they see both positives and negatives to the proposed bill.
However, league sources said that they “expect a lengthy legislative process with many adjustments.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal and New York Representative Paul Tonko have also pitched the SAFE Bet Act, legislation that would require states with legal sports betting markets “to reach certain standards regarding affordability, advertising, and artificial intelligence in an effort to curb problem gambling.”
Another aspect of the proposal would call for a ban on sports betting commercials during live athletic events.
An NFL source shared with ESPN, “At the same time, though, we’re concerned that there might be some unintended consequences on some of these provisions. They’re ripe for further discussion.”
The bill would also prohibit wagers on college athletes and ban prop bets that are based on how college and amateur athletes perform.
Prop bets involve wagers on how many rebounds or points a basketball player could have or the number of touchdowns or yards that football players might have. With prop bets, players bet on these game aspects “instead of or in conjunction with a game’s outcome or spread.”
An NBA source commented to ESPN that “the league is monitoring the legislation and believes it is at the starting point to a very lengthy process.”
Since the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports wagering, more than 35 states have opened legal and regulated markets within their borders.
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