Prohibition, quite simply, doesn't work. It was true with alcohol 90 years ago, and it is true when it comes to sports betting today.

IN 1917, the United States ratified the 18th Amendment in an attempt to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol. The consequences were unintended, but expected: The illicit behavior went underground. Instead of being regulated, the market went largely into the hands of organized crime.

Gangsters like Al Capone made millions satisfying overwhelming consumer demand precisely because the conditions of Prohibition provided them with the exclusive opportunity to do so.

Prohibition, quite simply, doesn't work. It was true with alcohol 90 years ago, and it is true when it comes to sports betting today.

Gambling, like drinking, is something people will always find a way to do. The global sports betting market is valued at roughly $2 trillion a year. Of that, gambling experts estimate that the United States wagers $500 billion — with 80 percent of all wagers made illegally.

That's why in 2012, New Jersey passed a law allowing for sports betting at racetracks and casinos. Not only would the plan have resulted in significant tax revenue for the state — some $120 million — it would have brought gambling into the light, where it could be effectively monitored and regulated.

Yet in a 2-1 ruling last month, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New Jersey's gambling law. In a lawsuit brought by the NBA, NCAA, NHL, NFL and MLB, the court agreed that New Jersey violated the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which prohibits most states from allowing sports betting.

The problem is not with the judges' decision. In its ruling, the 3rd Circuit objectively applied federal law. The problem is with the law itself. The federal government should not be banning sports betting; it should be regulating it.

Thankfully, momentum for reform is building. This summer, Reps. Frank Pallone and Frank LoBiondo introduced bills that would cut back the federal government's prohibition of sports betting. In addition, Pallone has called for congressional hearings on the hugely popular, but largely unregulated, fantasy sites — which in the first week of the NFL season took in an estimated $60 million, compared with $30 million from all of Las Vegas' sportsbooks combined.

Impact of betting

As a former Interpol official, head of security for FIFA, and now executive director for sport integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security, I have seen the effects betting has on sport. I am not necessarily pro-gambling, but I am pro-transparency. My mission has always been to further the safety, security and integrity of sport. It may seem counterintuitive, but legalizing sports betting advances that goal.

As we saw during Prohibition, unregulated, lucrative environments are breeding grounds for organized crime. The Mafia is famous for bookmaking in the United States. Last month, 48 organized criminals from China, Korea and Thailand were arrested for running an illegal sports betting operation in Bangkok.

Troubling

This pattern is troubling, especially when you consider where all of this money could end up. With a monopoly on the illicit betting market, organized criminals have a never-ending source of financing for their illegal, often violent operations.

This need not be the case. Just look at the United Kingdom, where sports fans can bet on every game — from their homes, in stadiums or even on their mobile phones — legally. Because betting is regulated and supervised, criminal operators have been effectively expelled from the market.

This is good for law enforcement, but it's also good for sport. Organized criminals are not just in the business of facilitating wagers — they are in the business of winning them. Illegal betting syndicates around the world regularly engage in point shaving and match fixing. In just the last few years, scandals involving soccer, handball and even sumo wrestling have rocked the world of sport. And in the United States, eight years ago NBA referee Tim Donaghy was arrested for illegally betting on games he officiated.

And that's why leagues and legislators should look at legalizing sports betting in a new light. With so much money moving around, the only way we can ensure the fairness and integrity of our favorite sports is if betting takes place in the open, so we can monitor every last penny.

It's time for the United States to get off the sidelines. America can be a world leader in betting regulation. Congress should learn from the mistakes of Prohibition and legalize sports wagering. That way, we can apply the same scrutiny and supervision to betting that we do to business. Doing so will expose illegal actors, cut them out of the game and protect the sports we love.

I'd say that's a smart bet.

Chris Eaton is the executive director of sport integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security.

This is a reprint from northjersey.com.com. to view the original, click here.