US Congress Considering Bill to Ban Betting on Elections Nationwide

November’s US election may be the last one bettors can wager on.

A pair of representatives introduced a bill that would ban sportsbooks from offering odds on elections. The legislation would update the Commodity Exchange Act to eliminate the controversial betting market. A similar proposal is being considered in the Senate, showing momentum for the ban.

The bill would target sportsbooks and specific trading platforms exploring the idea of offering prediction markets for elections.

Election Integrity at Stake

The driving force behind the effort to ban the market is election integrity. We have seen sports betting scandals nationwide, with people involved in events attempting to alter the outcome. These have become more common in college and pro sports as regulators' sportsbooks attempt to get ahead of the issue.

Given what we’ve seen with sports betting, lawmakers are worrying that the same kind of corruption could affect elections. A wide range of people could affect the outcome of an election, from candidates all the way to poll workers. 

Will Bill Get Bipartisan Support?

A pair of Democrats proposed the proposal currently being considered in the House. The party will lose control of all three branches of government, so it will need Republicans' support to pass.

The division remains at an all-time high in the US, including over election integrity. While plenty of conservative lawmakers have been aggressive in their push to reign in sports betting, they have deferred to President Trump in most matters. What he decides will likely determine the ultimate fate of the effort to ban election betting. 

Congress Holds Hearing Over Sports Betting

NCAA Charlie Baker and the NFLPA traveled to Capitol Hill to speak to Senators about sports betting. Baker used the forum to continue his push to eliminate player-prop betting on college athletics. He cited the spike in bettors harassing athletes, which the NCAA believes results from player props.

Baker sent out a letter to states that have legal sports betting to request that they ban the bet type. Some have already complied, with others currently considering legislation to address the growing problem. However, others are unwilling to give up the betting market, which draws a lot of action from bettors.

The hearing could lead to additional support from Congress to move the regulation of sports betting to the federal government.