To Regulate or Prohibit Online Gambling?

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Sept. 8/PRNewswire/ -- BETonSPORTS plc (LSE: BSS.L - News) operator of the world's largest online wagering service, BETonSPORTS.com, today announced the launch of a broad public policy initiative titled "Proposition 1: To Regulate or Prohibit Online Gambling?" designed to create the framework for sensible and realistic regulation of online gambling in the U.S. ADVERTISEMENT The initiative will be anchored by a national summit tour during September in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles. Summit meetings will bring together experts in law, academia, industry and government to stimulate the discussion and debate needed to address issues critical to the development of federal regulation that will both recognize the growth and popularity of online gambling and provide key consumer protections. This begins with a focus on the merits of existing proposed legislation in Congress, but also looks at efforts by the Department of Justice to prohibit advertising by online gambling companies. Moreover, the initiative will address what the online and traditional "land-based" segments of the gambling industry should be doing together to demonstrate leadership in providing Congress valuable input and in protecting consumers. To assist lawmakers with the process of developing the right legislation for consumers, BETonSPORTS will capture the key findings from the initiative in a white paper which it will publish just after the November 2 election. "As an emerging form of entertainment, online gambling is growing exponentially and is here to stay in the U.S. Efforts in Congress to develop legislation have stalled and are otherwise polarizing people. The Department of Justice's approach is also counterproductive. There's a public policy vacuum on the issues and it's in the best interests of consumers for industry to step in and help focus on what's most important to consider and accomplish in creating legislation," said David Carruthers, CEO of BETonSPORTS. Also part of the initiative is a series of college campus debates and an advertising campaign. College Debates BETonSPORTS will host a series of debates that tackle the issues surrounding the growth and proliferation of online gambling on college campuses -- from whether "responsible gambling" is a contradiction in terms, to exploration of the ethical issues of student-athletes wagering on collegiate games. Students make up a growing part of the online gambling market and yet they have not been actively engaged on the issues, let alone discussion on what constitutes responsible online gambling. Moreover, according to the NCAA, gambling by student-athletes is occurring at a "startling" rate. As students continue to use the Internet for gambling, these debates will help them become better informed on the issues, understand responsible gambling, and have an impact on public policy-making. National Advertising Campaign As part of BETonSPORTS' "Right to Wager" campaign, television advertisements making the case for online gambling enthusiasts' right to decide whether to wager online or not have started airing in 20 cities across the U.S. including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. The television ads are running in conjunction with an online campaign where visitors are asked to sign a petition and/or send a letter to their congressman. Print advertising is set to run in newspapers nationwide as well. For a complete list of Summit panel members, to obtain a copy of the advertisements, or to participate in or attend either the Summit meetings or the College Debates, please contact Kajal Jhaveri, Ruder Finn, at 212-593-5864 or jhaverik@ruderfinn.com. About BETonSPORTS plc BETonSPORTS, which operates the largest online wagering service in the world, is committed to providing its clients with the most value for their wagering dollar and quality customer service capabilities. Headquartered in San Josi, Costa Rica, the company is licensed in the Caribbean, Central America and Europe, and has obtained a bookmakers permit in the UK, where gambling has been a legal and respected tradition for over forty years. The company trades under the symbol BSS.L on the London Stock Exchange's Alterative Investment Market. BETonSPORTS.com has been ranked the number one sportsbook by a number of leading industry organizations, including the Offshore Gaming Association (OSGA), the International Sports Book Council (ISBC) and Insiders Football Guide. Visit http://www.BETonSPORTS.com for more information.