GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 41 - July 2018

The potential for sports betting in the U.S. is significant and, as the only operator in all three regulated U.S. states, we believe 888 is uniquely positioned to exploit the potential growth opportunities in the U.S. market that (this) ruling opens up.” Itai Frieberger , CEO of 888 “Bookies should be working with the leagues and, yes, paying .25% of handle. That your entire business entirely depends on someone else’s product without being a partner is absurd. But more importantly, books can extract a lot from the leagues to increase their bottom line.” Roxy Roxborough , longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker “Throughsmart, efficient regulation, thisnewmarketwill protect consumers, preserve the integrityof the gameswe love, empower lawenforcement tofight illegal gambling, andgeneratenew revenue for states, sportingbodies, broadcasters andmanyothers.” Geoff Freeman , outgoing American Gaming Association CEO “More than any bill written in the last several decades, (PASPA) dramatically curtailed illegal gambling activities, keeping at bay the social ills associatedwith sports betting in particular. The indisputable success of PASPA makes the Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate this law all themore devastating.” Orrin Hatch , U.S. Senator (R-Utah) “Congresshas long recognized the potential harms posedby sports betting to the integrityof sporting contests and thepublic confidence in these events. Given that history,we intend to call on Congress again, this time toenact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting.” National Football League statement “TheSupremeCourt’s decision is welcomenews. PASPA is a failed law andnowis the time for all parties, including the sports leagues, to come together andreplace itwitha regulatory framework thatwill bring sports bettingout of the shadows and into the sunlight, creatingwell over 100,000 jobs and raisingbillions in tax revenue.” Joe Asher , CEO of William Hill U.S. “It couldbe troublesome for non-U.S. affiliates to sort out their taxes, that’s for sure. But anewmarket openingup to approximately200million people?Asmall price topay, surely! OnceNewJerseyandWest Virginiaopen their doors to sports betting, expect anarms race to follow . . . especiallywhenother blue-collar states followsuit.” Domain_Don , GPWA Public Member “Itwill be very interesting to see howtheymanage licensing.Will theU.S. authorities be vindictive against the existing books that run out of CostaRica andCuracao? Will theU.S. authorities be quick to ‘greenlight’ books that have followed the rules in theU.K. and Australia?Orwill everything be slowed down to a crawl to benefit the existing land-based casinos?” TheGooner , GPWA Private Member 9 W W W . G P W A T I M E S . O R G