A bill under consideration by the New Mexico legislature, H 441, would prevent the New Mexico Lottery Authority from getting involved in sports betting.
The Lottery had already announced an interest in releasing a game tied to the outcome of sports events.
The lid is already lifted for sports betting in the state since one gaming tribe, the Pueblo of Santa Ana tribe has already started to offer it at Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel, even though the state hasn’t yet legalized it. The bill doesn’t address tribal participation, or even address future expansion of the activity. All it does is tell the Lottery not to get involved.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Matthew McQueen, told Legal Sports Report, “This is just telling the lottery authority that we created the lottery to do lottery games, not sports betting.” He added, “They’re trying to expand, and we’re trying to keep them focused on their given authority.”
Lottery CEO David Barden recently told the Albuquerque Journal that sports betting would generate $30 million a year for the Lottery. “It’s not your grandmother’s lottery game,” he said.
