Oregon Lottery to Legalize Sports Betting Before NFL 2019

Oregon is hoping to see its sports betting industry zapped backed into life. Challenges still persist, but there has been a silver lining, with the Oregon Lottery now looking into ways to make sports betting legal once again by the time the 2019 NFL season kicks off.

Oregon’s Sports Betting in Brief

Oregon had sports betting activities since 1946. With the majority of sportsbooks operating in a state of a legal limbo, it took the state’s lawmakers nearly six decades to introduce a rather more restrictive legislation, which was demanded on a federal level, rather than having something specific to do with Oregon’s own enmity towards sports betting.

PASPA of 1991 finally hit in 1992, but a grandfather clause allowed bookmakers to fight off a shut-down for another 15 years, before all operations were closed in 2007. Since then, anyone with a flair for sports betting have had to refer to an offshore sportsbook or head over to Nevada.

Oregon Lottery to Fight the Restrictive Sports Betting Climate

Oregon Lottery is now planning on taking matters in its own hands. Although the short-timeline doesn’t allow for impressive first efforts, the gaming body feels confident it can offer match winners and against the spread type of bets at first.

Here’s what Oregon Lottery representative Matthew Shelby commented on the matter cited by Katu:

It’s in the black market, offshore sports betting operations that people can access. The question that we’re looking at is should there be a regulated, state-run way for people to do that?

The long-term goal, Mr. Shelby explains, will be to introduce in-play betting options. Similar to other states, Oregon is considering to not include collegiate sporting events, as universities are benefited directly from lottery proceeds.

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Still, Oregon Lottery has to work out the details about how tax money will be used back for the good of the community. They can be allocated to different funds, as done in most other states, including social security, schools, infrastructure, pensions, and more, or they can be paid back in a lump sum to a designated regulator, which will then re-distribute the money.

Is Mobile Sports Betting in Oregon Part of the Offer?

Mobile sports betting could as well be a possibility for Oregon, based on what Mr. Shelby said for Katu in Portland:

If you were at an Oregon lottery retailer, potentially, you’d have the opportunity to bet on additional things. Who’s going to have the most yards in the first half, that type of thing.

Although he was referring to in-play (or live betting), there’s evidence to suggest that Oregon Lottery would actively seek to expand its existing offer – both technically and in terms of available markets.

With NCAA events excluded, Oregon still expects to rake in as much as $100 million in sports betting revenue. Based on SportsBusiness Daily, sports betting will begin in September.