As this year’s Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA is winding down, PlayPennsylvania has found illegal, offshore sportsbooks are taking bets on the semifinal games that are scheduled for Thursday night.
Legal PA online sportsbooks are not permitted to offer any markets on the LLWS.
But offshore sportsbooks neither licensed nor regulated in Pennsylvania are, in fact, illegally providing lines for the remaining games in a sporting event involving 12- and 13-year-old baseball players.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board told PlayPennsylvania on Thursday morning that it has referred the matter to state law enforcement.
LLWS betting in hands of law enforcement
Under the Pennsylvania Gaming Expansion Law, regulated sportsbooks are not permitted to offer lines involving LLWS games.
Further, PlayPennsylvania reached out to the Pennsylvania State Police and the The Office of Attorney General about what kind of enforcement authority they have. Neither has responded, yet, but we will update this story if they do.
Refresher on what Pennsylvanians can and can’t bet on
The Pennsylvania Gaming Expansion Law is important because it provides what is legal and what isn’t, in regards to sports wagering. Pennsylvanians can bet on the following events legally:
- Professional athletic events
- Collegiate athletic events
- Professional motor race events
- International team and international individual athletic events including those events governed by the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation of Association Football
Here’s what Pennsylvanians can’t bet on, legally:
- High school athletic events governed by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association or a similar governing body
- Amateur athletic events, other than collegiate athletic events, unless otherwise specifically approved by the PGCB
- Any other sports wagering activity as prohibited by the PGCB
Protection against minors
The PGCB has an obligation to protect minors from the gambling world. That involves preventing them both from being bet on or betting themselves. It upheld its end by reporting the illegal gambling activity to state law enforcement.
Lots of college and professional athletes are exposed to hateful comments because of the markets that are available even on legal sportsbooks. It’s a big reason why NCAA President, Charlie Baker, wants college prop betting banned. He said earlier this year, during March Madness:
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competitions and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed. The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”
While it’s hard enough for college athletes and professionals to deal with, there’s a line that needs to be drawn somewhere. The fact that you can’t bet on high school athletes protects the youth.
To put it in perspective, Little League World Series athletes are 12- and 13-years-old. There is simply no place for it.
