Page 13 - Delaware Lawyer - Winter 2023

and offer bets to their customers as the game progresses. (The delay in the television feed makes it an infe- rior alternative for bookmakers.) Nu- merous other businesses have added staff to service the sports betting in- dustry, ranging from the major tech and media companies to the printers who print the parlay cards. The rev- enue to these businesses runs into the millions of dollars.
For many sports fans, betting gives them a reason to watch a game they might not other wise watch (or added interest if they were already going to watch) and have a rooting inter- est even if their favorite team is not involved. For many bettors, it’s the satisfaction of being right that leads them to bet on the game, even more so than the desire to win money. In-
creasingly, much of the betting occurs while the game is already in progress, allowing fans to make new bets based on their views of what’s happening and what is going to happen.
This engagement is perhaps the most important aspect of sports bet- ting to the leagues and teams — fans who bet on games obviously are much more likely to watch the game. Even while leagues and teams are earning millions of dollars in sponsorship rev- enue from betting companies, and millions from the data companies for the right to collect and transmit the information, it’s the additional eye- balls for longer periods of time that create the most value.
The Supreme Court invalidated PASPA only five years ago; we are still in the early days of legal sports
betting in the U.S. While much has already happened, much will change over the coming years. The industr y likely will come under increasing reg- ulation as it expands and develops. So, while all of this activity was cre- ated by the outcome of the New Jer- sey litigation, the role of lawyers and the law in the sports betting industry is far from over.
NOTES
1. https://www.ncpgambling.org/ help-treatment/faq/#:~:text=How%20 widespread%20is%20problem%20 gambling,problems%20in%20a%20 given%20year
2. https://www.mlive.com/public- interest/2023/02/michigan-online- betting-83b-wagered-and-171-spike- in-hotline-calls.html and https://www. daytondailynews.com/local/calls-to- gambling-helpline-tripled-in-january/BW 472EOJS5AOFEDV6WGYS3HERE/?out putType=amp
WINTER 2023 DELAWARE LAWYER 11