The gaming industry will be well-represented next week in Washington D.C. when a House subcommittee explores potential federal guidelines governing the nation’s expanding sport gambling industry.
Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairwoman Becky Harris confirmed Friday she was asked to be “the minority party’s witness” when the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations’ holds a hearing Thursday, entitled “Post-PASPA: An Examination of Sports Betting in America.”
On Thursday, Sara Slane, the American Gaming Association’s senior vice president of public affairs, said she was asked to testify at the hearing.
Harris, a former Nevada state senator who was named the control board’s chairwoman in January by Gov. Brian Sandoval, said she plans to talk about Nevada’s “long and distinguished history with regulating sports betting.”
The panel wants to look at the growth of sports betting and potential federal involvement in regulating the activity after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that the 25-year-old Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was unconstitutional, opening the door for all states to legalize and regulate sports betting.
Since June, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, and West Virginia have launched legal sport betting operations at casinos and racetracks. More than a dozen other states are considering sports gaming legalization.
In the last month, two U.S. senators, Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah and New York Democrat Chuck Schumer – the Senate Minority Leader – called for potential federal guidelines and oversight of sports betting.
Harris said she would not presume what questions committee members might ask.
“Nevada has been engaged in sports betting for 40 years and we have a mature jurisdiction,” Harris said. “Our strict regulations are enforced, and we are in the best position to understand how sports betting will be regulated.”
Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus has pushed behind the scenes for Nevada’s voices to be heard on issues involving sports gambling. The Democrat, whose district includes the Las Vegas Strip, said in a statement that Harris will demonstrate to the subcommittee how Nevada has successfully regulated sports betting at the state level.
“While Senators Schumer and Hatch have expressed support for a federal framework, I hope that members of the subcommittee will see that a heavy-handed approach could have unintended negative consequences and push more sports wagering back into the illegal market,” Titus said in a statement provided by her office.
“We must be cautious not to reinvent the wheel or derail what’s working,” Titus said. “I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on this subcommittee to ensure Nevada has a seat at the table in these discussions.”
In July, Harris instituted a push to discuss possible changes to Regulation 22, the gaming law that governs Nevada’s race and sports book operations. The control board is seeking input on how the regulation might be altered as the state deals with new competition in the sports wagering realm from other states. Harris said Friday a public hearing is scheduled for October.
Washington D.C.-based GamblingCompliance.com, which first reported Harris’ involvement in the Capitol Hill hearing, said the subcommittee had originally planned to hold the hearing on June 26, but it was postponed because of discussion over immigration matters.
Slane is expected to provide the AGA’s perspective on why states and sovereign tribal nations – not the federal government – are best positioned to regulate and oversee legal sports betting markets.
Last week, Slane sent a letter to Schumer reiterating the gaming industry’s top priorities for eliminating the illegal gaming market and implementing successful and safe legal sports betting in the U.S.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
