A new study commissioned by the American Gaming Association shows that a majority of U.S. citizens are in favor of ending the federal ban on sports betting and allowing states to choose for themselves whether or not to allow wagering on sporting events.
Among the results of the national survey, conducted for the AGA by polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, was that nearly six in 10 Americans favor repealing the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which bans sports betting in all but four states, only one of which runs full sports betting. When considering only avid sports fans, that figure rises to 72 percent.
Among other results, the poll found that nearly two in three Americans see legalized sports betting as a viable way to create jobs and generate additional tax revenue. Also, more than six in 10 18-to-26-year-olds favor legal sports betting.
Meanwhile, the state of New Jersey, which has taken its challenge of PASPA to the U.S. Supreme Court, is testing the limits of a close cousin to sports betting, fantasy sports. ESPN reported that Resorts Casino in Atlantic City is about to launch “FastPick,” a house-banked fantasy sports parlay game that observers are calling the closest thing to sports betting outside of Nevada.
Pending regulatory approval, FastPick will be integrated into Resorts’ online casino and the property’s iGaming Lounge.
New Jersey has yet to pass a bill legalizing daily fantasy sports, and officials have stated in the past that they would wait until the Supreme Court case is decided before pursuing any sports-based games. Resorts, however, will apparently push the envelope before that happens.
“We wanted to get something as close to a traditional single-game play as we (could), but still have it be compliant with fantasy rules,” Joe Brennan, the CEO of SportAD, the parent company of FastPick, told ESPN’s David Purdum. “I think this is as close as you can get right now.”
FastPick allows players to select from three to 10 heads-up sports games, and identify the player who will score the most fantasy points in each matchup.
