The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation (TEL) has become the latest member of the Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS), dedicated to protecting the integrity of sports wagering worldwide.
TEL becomes GLMS’ first regulating member under the revised statutes of the association and its first US member.
GLMS President Ludovico Calvi said: “We are honoured to welcome the TEL as our first US member, paving the way for more US lotteries joining GLMS for their sport integrity services. We value the admirable effort done by TEL to create a sustainable betting regulatory framework, establishing competitive market conditions while protecting the interests of Tennesseans.
“TEL brings a unique US footprint into the GLMS community of members and its membership shows a clear commitment to promoting transparent and socially responsible betting operations, in line with the highest standards of sports betting integrity. We look forward to working closely with the TEL to protect our core values and act as a shield against global sports corruption.”
The GLMS statutes were revised in September following a written general assembly of its members, during which the membership took into consideration the changing nature of sports betting and integrity worldwide.
Following the PASPA repeal in May 2018 and the legalisation of sports betting in many US States, certain US lotteries act as regulators, defining the circumstances under which sports betting operators will be allowed to operate sports betting in their state.
Tennessee is evidence of the growing sports betting market in the USA, with the unique twist of the TEL acting as a regulator, not an operator, offering sports betting licences since mid-2020. The TEL, as a semi-governmental organization, has raised more than $5.6bn for education in the state since 2004.
TEL President and CEO Rebecca Paul Hargrove added: “TEL is proud to become a member of GLMS in our oversight role for the licensing and regulation of online sports wagering in Tennessee. Integrity is at the heart of everything we do as we establish and support a responsible and competitive sports wagering program.
“GLMS’s position in the global marketplace will be a critical asset to the TEL’s work to protect the customer, promote fairness in sports and regulate this new industry in our state.”
The insight and intelligence TEL will bring to GLMS’ international membership will benefit jurisdictions around the world and add tremendous value to safeguarding a culture of integrity in an increasingly global sports wagering marketplace, said the association.