Unlike the NBA and MLB, the NFL had been dragging its cleats about making legalized sports betting a part of its game.
It can ignore it no longer.
Following yesterday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that found the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was unconstitutional and gave individual states the right to legalize gambling on sports, the NFL is asking Congress to create a regulatory framework for legal sports betting.
“Congress has long-recognized the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events,” a league spokesman said Monday. “Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting. We also will work closely with our clubs to ensure any state efforts that move forward in the meantime protect our fans and the integrity of our game.”
The NFL may find itself working with Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who said he plans to introduce sports betting legislation following Monday’s decision. “At stake here is the very integrity of sports,” Hatch said in a statement. “That’s why I plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to help protect honesty and principle in the athletic arena.”
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