Players associations representing athletes across four key sports within the United States have joined together, to release a statement regarding the prospect of legalised sports betting within the country.

Union's for professional players across baseball (MLBPA), basketball (NBPA), American football (NFLPA) and ice hockey (NHLPA), have today (Thursday April 12) issued the following statement: "Given the pending Supreme Court decision regarding the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), representatives of the MLBPA, NBPA, NFLPA and NHLPA have been working together on the legal, commercial, practical, and human consequences of allowing sports betting to become mainstream.

"The time has come to address not just who profits from sports gambling, but also the costs. Our unions have been discussing the potential impact of legalised gambling on players' privacy and publicity rights, the integrity of our games and the volatility on our businesses.

"Betting on sports may become widely legal, but we cannot allow those who have lobbied the hardest for sports gambling to be the only ones controlling how it would be ushered into our businesses. The athletes must also have a seat at the table to ensure that players' rights and the integrity of our games are protected."

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