My latest Green Felt Journal talks about the history behind the federal tax on sports betting:
Like so much else in the history of Nevada gaming, the tax is linked to the Kefauver Committee, the early 1950s U.S. Senate body that investigated organized crime throughout America. Chaired by maverick Tennessee Democrat Estes Kefauver, the committee found that organized crime was indeed a national problem—a problem chiefly fueled by income from gambling operations. With state and local authorities unable (or unwilling) to prosecute gambling entrepreneurs to its satisfaction, Congress decided to fix the problem itself.
via Why Congress Should Repeal a Federal Tax on Sports Betting | Vegas Seven.
Always nice to bring some history into the discussion.