Fighting the legal corner
TIDE CONTINUES TO TURN AGAINST ILLEGAL BOOKIES BUT THERE REMAINS WORK TO BE DONE THANKS TO THE ACTIONS of the American Gaming Association and responsible stakeholders, the illegal betting market in the US is on the wane. But while the tide is turning, a sea change remains a distant prospect
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espite a rampaging pandemic and the distraction of a bitter Presidential Election, US sports betting has managed a comeback of Lazarus proportions during recent times, with monthly revenue records continuing to tumble. But while this is all good news for the fine upstanding purveyors of legal betting, how is the fight progressing against the illegal bookies who remain out of sight, but everpresent? For a quick sitrep we turned to Casey Clark, Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications at the American Gaming Association. The first thing we needed to understand
was how the industry is performing in its fight to turn sports bettors away from the illegal bookies? Is it doing better at this stage than expected and what’s being done to reinforce the message that the legal option is the right one? He responded: “With the expansion of legal sports betting, consumers are steadily moving toward the legal
AGA RESEARCH FOUND THAT AVERAGE SPENDING WITH ILLEGAL BOOKIES DROPPED 25% LAST YEAR IN STATES WITH LEGAL SPORTS BETTING
market. AGA research found that average spending with illegal bookies dropped 25% last year in states with legal sports betting. With more than $28bn having been wagered legally in the US since the court invalidated PASPA, it is pretty clear that consumers are migrating to the safe, regulated, legal markets that have opened closer to home. According to Clark, the AGA’s research indicates that while 74% of bettors say it’s important to exclusively bet with legal operators, 55% unknowingly wagered with illegal operators last year. Clearly there’s still work to be done. “Playing with legal, regulated operators is a key part of responsible sports wagering, so we have resources available so everyone can see what options are available to them in their jurisdiction,” he advised. “The AGA is also leading an industry wide educational effort through our 'Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly' public service campaign, which educates consumers on not just where, but also how to bet responsibly. “We are proud to partner with the NHL and NASCAR on this important initiative and look forward to partnering with more leagues and teams as they embrace the shared responsibility that comes with the sports betting opportunity.” The COVID pandemic has been disruptive in all areas of the business, specifically regarding the cessation of sporting events which created huge pressure on bookmakers to identify new markets. We asked Clark how this might have hampered efforts to keep bettors away from the black market? “First, I’d say that the legal market
26 SBC LEADERS • DECEMBER 2020
