FILE PHOTO: A US five dollar note is seen in this illustration photo, June 1, 2017. Reuters/Thomas White
WASHINGTON: A decision by the Supreme Court means American sports fans will soon have many more places to place legal bets on the results of football, baseball, basketball, hockey and other games.
Five states have the edge in the race to legalize sports betting because they've already passed laws contingent on the Supreme Court striking down the 1992 federal ban on such gambling.
That happened on Monday as the high court ruled 6-3 against a 1992 law that barred state-authorized sports gambling with some exceptions.
Several states are likely to follow in the coming months or years as they seek to capitalize on the economic growth and tax revenue that legal gambling can bring.
Including the four states where some form of sports gambling was already legal, 24 states have at least considered getting into business with sports book operators
