A pair of well-renowned sports bettors have launched a new initiative that advocates for regular bettors in the U.S.
Officially launched Monday, American Bettors’ Voice is a non-profit organization that intends to give sports bettors “a seat at the table in the rapidly expanding” markets.
Created by Gadoon “Spanky” Kryollos and Billy Walters, the Nevada-based group feels that bettors have been alienated by sports betting companies, who have largely set the standards and practices in the U.S. since PASPA was overturned in 2018.
ABV plans to add members and corporate sponsors to bridge those gaps and provide a collective effort to ensure fair, transparent, and sustainable betting practices.
“Bettors need a voice, and we intend for these voices to be heard,” Kyrollos said in a statement.
The @spanky, @Schuetzinc, and Billy Walters-backed American Bettors' Voice is live. The non-profit says it aims to give sports bettors "a seat at the table" with regulators and operators. Position papers coming from them on limiting and palpable errors:https://t.co/Qfc8iGdOMa pic.twitter.com/bX6SPZu6AX
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 22, 2024
Creators behind the voice
Kryollos is a long-time professional sports bettor and podcast host. He’s also the creator of the Sports Betting Hall of Fame and BetBash, a sports betting networking and educational conference held in August.
Walters is regarded as one of the most successful sports bettors of all time. An author and member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class, Walters created the Computer Group, the first betting syndicate, in the 1980s.
“At this stage in my life, I am eager to give back to an activity that has given me so much,” Walters said. “Bettors deserve to be treated fairly, and we at American Bettors‘ Voice are unwavering in our commitment to this cause.”
The announcement comes less than a week after the pair advocated for greater fairness and transparency from sportsbooks at a panel of the National Committee of Legislators from Gaming States conference in Pittsburgh.
Gaming regulatory veteran Richard Schuetz is the chief executive officer at ABV. The organization also comprises an advisory board of Brett Smiley, Brianne Doura-Schawohl, Susan Hensel, Allison McCoy, and Eric Raskin.
‘Threat to sustainability’
ABV believes “many actors within the ecosystem have generally not demonstrated an interest in interacting with sports bettors other than as streams of data to be manipulated.”
According to release materials, the group includes sports betting operators, regulators, affiliates, lobbyists, consultants, and related entities.
The pro-bettors organization believes this is a “threat to the sustainability” of the industry and that regulators can’t fulfill their mandates without consumer engagement.
Valuing bettors
The creation of ABV comes at a time when sports bettors are clamoring for state regulators to take on the issue of operators limiting players. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) held a public roundtable discussion in May and invited representatives from DraftKings, FanDuel, and other Bay State online operators to talk about bettor limits.
While only Bally Bet, a newcomer to the market, attended, the MGC said in June that they are open to trying again.
According to its website, the ABV’s “values” include having “a sustainable sports betting model needs to address protections for the vulnerable” and “a minimum standard of Fair and Uniform treatment of every customer.”
