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The DraftKings Sportsbook is now live in New Jersey.
Opportunities in a nascent industry such as the US sports betting market are plentiful. However, taking advantage of those opportunities can be a challenge without the right connections or background.
The University of New Hampshire School of Law (UNH Law) recognized the need for more experts in the sports betting industry. Consequently, it teamed up with Sportradar, a sports data analysis firm, to offer courses in sports wagering and integrity that can lead to professional certification.
Michael McCann, UNH Associate Dean, is an expert in the field. He is the program’s co-founding director and instructor. He spoke about the program and its goals in a press release.
“The practice of integrity monitoring is critical in today’s sports wagering environment. When successful, it empowers gaming companies, regulators, sports leagues and other affected parties to monitor all aspects of wagers, operators, and sports. With such monitoring, patterns and trends can be detected and appropriate enforcement steps can be exercised. Our intent is to provide a thorough grounding for professionals in the field, providing them with important skills and insights on the issues and complexities related to sports wagering.”
Sports wagering and integrity certification
The certificate will include five courses in total and will be available beginning in early 2019. A bevy of experts from the legal, regulatory, compliance and sports betting fields will be on hand to contribute to an engaged and active learning environment.
For now, it will be the only law school program that will certify graduates in the business and legal aspects of sports betting.
The first two courses are:
- Introduction to U.S. Sports Betting Law and Regulation
- Safeguarding Sport Integrity & Advanced Integrity Monitoring
The program couldn’t come at a better time. States such as Pennsylvania and New Mexico are ready to launch legal sports betting. They will soon join Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Mississippi, and West Virginia in the US sports betting market. Several other states are taking up the discussion including:
- Rhode Island
- New York
- Michigan
- Connecticut
Participants will explore the legal and regulatory aspects of sports betting and understand its impact at the state level. The role the federal government will play in sports betting regulation is still in question after a House hearing on the subject last month.
How the certification came about
Attorney Daniel Wallach is a sought-after legal expert on sports betting, daily fantasy sports and gaming law. He came up with the idea for the professional certification. He is the co-founding director and an adjunct professor for the program. Wallach commented how the certification program would help protect the integrity of the game.
“The certificate program will be a pioneer in the transforming subject of sports and wagering integrity in the United States. With the repeal of the federal ban on state-authorized sports betting, the focus going forward will be on developing the legal and regulatory environment governing sports wagering.
“The paramount consideration in any future regulatory and legal framework should be on protecting the ‘integrity’ of the sporting events and ensuring that they remain free of match-fixing and other corruptive influences. This program will provide participants with the tools for understanding how the legal and integrity issues intersect.”
More about UNH Law
UNH Law is a top 100 law school that touts innovation as one of its core ideals. Its focus areas include:
- Intellectual property
- Commerce and technology
- Public interest and social justice
Sports wagering and game integrity fit nicely into the law school’s areas of expertise.
Megan Carpenter, Dean, UNH Law, commented about the current environment and the certification.
“Given the recent changes in policy around sports wagering, it’s more important than ever that lawyers and other professionals related to the field understand the regulatory and business environment. This certificate is part of our commitment to provide relevant, career-enhancing education to those in the legal fields, as well as other professionals seeking expertise in specific fields. The program enables students to benefit from the collective expertise and knowledge of leaders from UNH Law and Sportradar, and I’m confident will serve as a valuable resource.”
More about Sportradar
Sportradar leverages sports data and other content for its global customer base. Customers include media companies, sportsbooks, sports leagues and regulatory bodies.
It partners with more than 600 companies in over 80 countries to provide security, media and live betting services worldwide.
Dr. Laila Mintas, the Deputy President of Sportradar US and one of the lead instructors, also commented on the collaboration.
“As the global leader in safeguarding sports integrity, Sportradar is proud to help pioneer this very important and first-of-its-kind program. It will help participants get educated and better prepared to participate in a total new industry and to understand not only the challenges that lie ahead but also the opportunities available in the fast-developing sports betting market in the US.”
