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Players’ Union Meet To Discuss The Future Of Sports Gambling

By Gary A. Laurie posted 06-10-2017 07:48 PM

  
Posted on behalf of Chris Psihoules.

Players' union executives from the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL have had several formal meetings to begin preparing for a potential legalization of sports gambling, NFLPA executive George Atallah told The MMQB on Thursday.

 Legalized sports gambling will certainly have an effect on professional athletes, and the players’ union representatives have been meeting over the past year and a half to discuss that impact.

 “Yes, the sports unions have been discussing the issue, in particular around the integrity of our respective games," Atallah told The MMQB. "We're collaborating on it. We might be open to changes that are coming because of [legalized sports gambling], but before we get to the revenue aspect of it, do we have the infrastructure in place to prevent any sort of shenanigans? That's the issue.”

 In May, a congressional committee introduced a draft bill that aims to repeal the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), the federal prohibition on sports betting.  Additionally, the American Gaming Association plans to announce the formation of a coalition that plans to begin lobbying to lift PASPA this year.

 Meanwhile back home, New Jersey has appealed its latest effort to bring legal Las Vegas-style sports betting to the state's casinos all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether it will take the case this summer.

 Stay tuned, and check out the MMQB article here.

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