AGA President Blasts Media Over Coverage Of Sports Betting

The American Gaming Association President, Bill Miller, has a bone to pick with the media, and he made his feelings known on Sunday. As sports start to reopen and the sports betting industry is going to resume expanding, Miller is very mindful of how the new industry is covered by the press.

Miller is very annoyed that the media continues to discuss offshore sportsbooks when legalized sports betting is going to continue to flourish. This week marks the second anniversary of the historic Supreme Court ruling that overturned a ban on national sports betting.

Since that May 2018 decision came down, the sports betting industry has taken off, generating billions of dollars of revenue in the states that have launched sports betting. Just before the ruling, only Nevada offered legal sports betting, but since the ruling, 17 states now have legalized sports betting.

Miller said on Sunday that the casino closings and sports shutdowns since March have cost the industry billions of dollars.

Concerned With Lending Legitimacy To Illegal Sportsbooks

With things on track to resume business, now is not the time to give a nod to illegal sportsbooks operating in other countries. Miller says he has noticed the media making it seem like these offshore illegal sports betting operations are legitimate when they aren’t.

Miller said sportsbooks that have come on board in the US since 2018 paid hefty licensing fees in many cases. All of these sportsbooks are working hard every day to make sure all the rules and regulations are followed very closely.

Miller says the media continues to mention offshore sportsbooks, and “that is not in the best interests of sportsbooks that are operating within the boundaries of the law.”

Miller made his feelings known on his personal LinkedIn page on Sunday. He mentioned that prior to the Supreme Court ruling in 2018, the sports betting black market made athletes and consumers extremely vulnerable.

Miller said illegal sports betting operations brought in at least $150 billion a year and are still making an enormous amount of money that is not regulated or taxed. Miller said that this misinformation from the media is a huge disservice to sports betters, especially people that are new to the industry.

Miller Says It’s Time To Call Out Illegal Sportsbooks

Miller believes it’s time to call out all the illegal sportsbooks, so consumers are properly informed. He believes it’s the consumer who is most at risk when they enter into these illegal sportsbooks.

Miller reminded people that if there are any issues with a bet or something goes south, there is very little the consumer can do. He gave an analogy of “if someone buys illegal drugs, gets a smaller amount then they paid for, they can’t go to the police or sue the dealer in court.”

Doing business with illegal sportsbooks runs along those same lines. Miller went on with his dire warning by saying,

“This becomes especially difficult when mainstream publications continue to legitimize the dangerous illegal market.”

In a bold move, Miller called out various media outlets by name, such as Yahoo, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal. Miller said all sides have to work as a team to get the correct and real information out to the consumers who are most at risk for being taken advantage of by these non-licensed illegal sportsbooks.

The AGA is the largest voice for the entire gaming industry in Washington, DC. Miller said the gaming industry is the industry that has the most regulations imposed on it by the government.