Source: Jeff Greenberg / Getty
CLEVELAND – From March Madness to the Cleveland Browns to our championship Cleveland Cavaliers, betting on a big game could soon be reality.
The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday morning for states to legalize sports betting, striking down a 1992 federal law that had prohibited most states from authorizing sports betting.
“Nationwide, there’s about 7-million people suffering with gambling disorder,” says Mike Buzzelli, Gambling Services Coordinator with Recovery Resources in Cleveland.
The ruling is a victory for many states, which had considered allowing sports gambling as a way to encourage tourism and tax revenue. But Buzzelli says the ruling isn’t necessarily good or bad, since illegal sports gambling has been in play for decades.
Buzzelli said, “The American Gaming Association estimates about $150-billion is wagered annually illegally, so that tells us two things. It tell us that people are already sports gambling. It also tells us there’s a lot of lost tax revenue.”
Ohio voters approved casino gambling in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo in 2009.
READ MORE: Fox8.com
Article Courtesy of WJW Fox 8 News Cleveland
First Picture Courtesy of ullstein bild Dtl. and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of Jeff Greenberg and Getty Images
