The American gambling industry won big on Election Day Tuesday. Three states voted to permit legal sports betting and three others either approved or expanded gambling in casinos. Casinos are businesses that have gambling and other forms of entertainment activities.
Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana approved betting on sporting events. The ballot results mean that, by the end of 2021, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia could have legal sports betting in place.
The development comes less than three years after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling ended a federal ban on sports gambling in most states.
FILE – A woman plays a slot machine at the Golden Nugget casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, July 2, 2020.
“It appears that Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable with legalized gambling,” said David Schwartz. He is a gambling historian with the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
The state of Virginia approved casino gambling in four places. People in Nebraska voted to permit the addition of casino games at its horse racing tracks. And Colorado expanded the number and kind of casino games it can offer, along with removing some betting limits.
In South Dakota, the ballot measure permitted casinos in the town of Deadwood to add in-person sports betting. Deadwood has about 25 casinos. Sports betting will also become legal across much of Louisiana.
The American Gaming Association, the casino industry’s main trade group, celebrated the expansion votes. Bill Miller, the organization’s head, said that “as a result of the successful ballot measures” in six states, more Americans will have access to jobs, special tax revenue and safe entertainment choices where they live.
I’m Ashley Thompson.
The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.
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Words in This Story
gambling –n. a kind of game of chance in which players risk money in hopes of gaining more money
betting –n. the act of placing money at risk in a game of chance with the understanding that you lose it if you do not win or gain more money if you do
comfortable –adj. not causing pain, producing a good feeling
tracks –n. a circular path or road that is used for any form of racing
revenue –n. money that collected for the public by a government