More States Propose Sports Betting Legislation

When the Supreme Court struck down a federal statute that banned sports betting nationally, it became a race to see which states would introduce sports betting legislation first. The numbers unsurprisingly seem to be growing, as eight states have sports betting bills pending. The list includes Washington, DC, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, South Dakota, Minnesota, Ohio, and Maryland. While it was expected for some of these states to respond quickly to the statute being nullified, some are quite surprising.

States Expected to Pass Sports Betting Legislation in 2019

It is widely known that any bill proposed by the government sometimes takes a while to be passed. This is due to the natural process of passing a new law. However, some states are working hard to introduce new bills in the hopes of reaping the tax benefits soon. Some such areas include the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., which is expected to have legalized sports betting by September 1^st. The bill may see the state’s lottery provider, Intralot, become the first sports betting provider in the city. The city’s sports betting bill is still under review by Congress, though. Indiana has also moved quickly in attempting to authorize sports betting. Senate Bill 52 has already moved from the Committee on Public Policy to the Committee on Appropriations. The new bill will not only legalize sports betting but also authorize the construction of two new casinos. The bill is expected to pass sometime between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020.

Some Bills Future Uncertain

While some states are clearly moving towards a future in which legalized sports betting is accepted as part of daily life, there are other states that have proposed bills that may or may not be approved. This includes Ohio and South Dakota, where bills don’t have a lot of support or still require voter approval. Which states will eventually legalize sports betting remains to be seen. For more on this story and other gambling news, keep it here at CasinoUS.com.