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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In 1993, the United States Congress enacted the
3Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (28 U.S.C. §3701
4et seq.), prohibiting states and local governments from
5authorizing sports betting on amateur and professional
6athletes or games; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection
8Act makes it unlawful to advertise, authorize, operate,
9promote, or sponsor betting or wagering on one or more
10competitive games in which amateur or professional athletes
11participate or are intended to participate, or on one or more
12performances of those athletes in those games; and
 
13    WHEREAS, As a result of the exceptions contained in the
14Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, sports betting
15is permitted in Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana, but
16prohibited in the remaining 46 states of the United States,
17including Illinois; and
 
18    WHEREAS, As a result of the exceptions in the Professional
19and Amateur Sports Protection Act, Nevada reported $4.2 billion
20and $4.5 billion in total sports betting wagers, in 2015 and
212016 respectively, and reported revenues of $231 million and
22$219 million in 2015 and 2016, respectively; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection
2Act discriminates against Illinois and deprives the State of
3the opportunities afforded to Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and
4Montana to raise millions of dollars in revenue that would
5potentially flow from the legislative authorization of sports
6betting in this State; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
9CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge President Trump and the United
10States Congress to remove the ban on sports betting or wagering
11by repealing the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection
12Act; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
14delivered to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Majority
15Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles
16Schumer, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul
17Ryan, U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy
18Pelosi, and all members of the Illinois Congressional
19Delegation.