Inaugural Meeting of Sports Betting Regulators Association to Take Place in Boston

The Sports Betting Regulators Association is set to hold its inaugural meeting immediately following the summer National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts on Sunday, July 10.

“During the last four years the legal expansion of sports betting has and continues to have a profound impact on our sports, the public, related companies and the jurisdictions that have authorized this explosive new market,” said SBRA Chair Charles Moore, Executive Director of the Wyoming Gaming Commission.

“Regulatory agencies have common needs and challenges and we envision helping to develop possible solutions and a coordinated approach to matters that cross jurisdictional boundaries. We also envision a place where regulators can brainstorm challenges freely amongst themselves and formalize a way for the regulated entities to provide input to the entire network before recommended policies or rules are finalized and put forward,” Moore said.

One common area of concern deals with the role of government in providing consumer protections or assurances regarding the integrity of the contests the public is allowed to wager on. In many sports, the anti-doping programs are not transparent and in some cases are the result of a collective bargaining agreement between a League and players union.

Explosive allegations concerning the NBA subtly affecting the outcome of playoff games to boost television ratings contained in the podcast “Whistleblower: Who Fixed the NBA?” raise transparency and integrity issues that all sports betting regulators must consider going forward.

“Casinos and sport betting companies have a common interest with the regulatory entities that consumer confidence is not undermined by scandals resulting from a failure to implement common integrity standards that include public transparency and are independently reviewed,” said Ed Martin, SBRA Manager and President of the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

Organizers said 21 states will participate in the event, which is open to all states, Canadian provinces, and tribal regulatory entities.