Pennsylvania Committee supports removal of sports-betting ban

Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee has passed a bill which calls on Congress to lift the Federal ban on sports betting.

Bill HR619 was widely accepted, passing the Committee by 23-1 votes, according to Legal Sports Report.

The resolution recommends that states like Pennsylvania which regulate casino games should be able to authorise sports betting inside their licensed facilities.

The bill adds that illegal sports betting is considered the most common form of gambling within the US.

This idea was reinforced as the American Gaming Association stated that most bets made on the Super Bowl were done so illegally.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) stops the legalisation of sports betting in America, apart from in a handful of states which had the system in place prior to the Act.

The bill has several steps remaining, but if passed may encourage other states to follow suit.