Net Neutrality Sunset Could Boost Online Sports Betting
As the Federal Communications Commission moves forward with its net neutrality rule deregulation, states are ramping up their sports betting offerings in the wake of a favorable Supreme Court decision. The timing of this convergence is coincidental, but some experts speculate it could contribute to a boom in online sports betting if gamblers are allowed pay for fast-tracked internet service.
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Once the net neutrality rules sunset, experts anticipate that ISPs could start offering “packages” curated for different web-browsing needs, such as specially priced plans that grant priority access to certain high-bandwidth streaming sites. Those packages could also be tailored to accommodate real-time betting, said Dennis Ehling, a Blank Rome LLP litigation partner who specializes in gaming.
He likened the concept to high-speed traders who have been known to pay a premium to place their computer servers closer to stock exchanges, gaining a very minute yet valuable advantage. Like traders, elite gamblers also require lightning-quick exchanges of information to be competitive, Ehling said.
“If those types of things are available, there will certainly be some high-end players who can try to take advantage of them if they can,” he said.
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"Net Neutrality Sunset Could Boost Online Sports Betting," by Kelcee Griffis was published in Law360 on June 5, 2018.