Congress is preparing to consider new rules for governing sports betting in the wake of a Supreme Court decision on the issue, according to reports.
The hearings are reportedly set for next week on June 26 and will aim to field ideas for creating federal regulations to govern sports betting, according to Pro Football Talk.
In May, Utah Sen. Orin Hatch announced plans to introduce new legislation that would curb sports betting, after the nation’s highest court shot down federal rules prohibiting sports gambling.
“The problems posed by sports betting are much the same as they were 25 years ago,” Hatch said in his May 14 statement. “But the rapid rise of the Internet means that sports betting across state lines is now just a click away. We cannot allow this practice to proliferate amid uneven enforcement and a patchwork race to the regulatory bottom. At stake here is the very integrity of sports. That’s why I plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to help protect honesty and principle in the athletic arena. I invite stakeholders and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in addressing this important issue.”
The Senator’s announcement came on the heels of a 6-3 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a portion of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
According to Pro Football Talk, the National Football League has been working directly with Hatch’s office to craft the proposed bill. The NFL is seeking not only to help assure the integrity of sports, to stay free of the sort of corruption that has historically come with gambling, but also to get a piece of the action when it comes.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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