Gambling.com Group CEO Charles Gillespie believes affiliates have an "important role to play" in educating US sports bettors.

Since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May, six states have joined Nevada in offering legalised sports betting.

One casino in New Mexico has also started accepting sports wagers, while the state of Arkansas has approved legislation to regulate the practice.

Considering the surge in US sports betting regulation, Gillespie believes there is a much greater need for affiliates to educate customers in  than in the UK.

The Gambling.com Group CEO said: "In complete contrast to the United Kingdom, the American sports betting market is today dominated by offshore operators who continue to illicitly serve US consumers.

"Affiliates have a much more important role to play in the US market, that of educating the consumer about which operators are actually legal and which are not. We are happy to take the lead on this education effort."

To capitalise on the expansion in US sports wagering, the Gambling.com Group has relaunched its US-facing website bookies.com.

Gillespie has discussed the topic at length in an exclusive column for the January/February edition of the Gambling Insider magazine. Register here for free access when it is published.