Stars Press Release Re: Supreme Court The Stars Group Welcomes Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Permitting Sports Betting
Decision opens the door for The Stars Group to expand business broadly in the United States
TORONTO, May 15, 2018 /CNW/ - The Stars Group Inc. (NASDAQ: TSG; TSX: TSGI) reacted today to the decision by the United States Supreme Court to strike down, as an unconstitutional exercise of federal power, the nearly 30-year ban on sports betting under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA.
Congress enacted PASPA in 1992, which resulted in all states, other than Nevada and three others, being prohibited from authorizing sports betting. The litigation that reached the Supreme Court arose from New Jersey's repeated attempts to resist the federal ban and to legalize sports betting within the state.
"The decision by the Supreme Court is an important step forward in the regulation of sports betting in the United States," said Marlon Goldstein, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of The Stars Group. "We believe we are well-positioned to take advantage of any new business and market opportunities, and to work with state legislatures in setting up sports betting frameworks that satisfy local consumers' interest in sports betting while protecting them through safe and regulated betting environments."
The decision follows The Stars Group's recent announcement of its agreement to acquire Sky Betting & Gaming, the fastest growing established sports betting operator in the United Kingdom, the world's largest online gaming market, and its recent acquisition of 80% of the combined CrownBet and William Hill Australia businesses, which combined form the third largest online sports betting operator in Australia, the world's second largest online gaming market. The acquisition of Sky Betting & Gaming, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, will create the world's largest publicly listed online gaming company with massive global scale, deep industry expertise, unrivalled brand awareness, a robust technology platform, expansive player database, and deeply rooted focus on the customer, all of which together will support The Stars Group in establishing itself as an important participant in emerging markets like the United States.