(AsiaGameHub) – By: Lucas Caldwell
Prediction markets are in the crosshairs of U.S. labor groups and regulators alike. Unite Here, a union representing thousands of casino workers, is pushing Congress to ban these platforms from offering sports betting and casino-style games. The union argues these unregulated markets threaten the stable jobs and benefits its members have fought for over years.
Gwen Mills, Unite Here’s president, says over 100,000 of the union’s members work in Tribal and commercial casinos across the country. She claims prediction markets are conducting illegal sports betting, violating both Tribal sovereignty and state laws. Mills is calling on Congress to take immediate action to protect these workers’ livelihoods.
The union’s members include housekeepers, bartenders, servers, cooks, and dishwashers. Together with responsible gaming employers, they’ve built a union standard with high wages, affordable health insurance, and the ability to retire with dignity. Mills says prediction markets could erase this progress and take away these hard-won benefits.
Mills is urging senators to pass the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act (S4160). She notes the Senate is currently considering cryptocurrency market structure legislation, making this an urgent time to reaffirm that gambling is governed by Tribal and state authorities. Senators Adam Schiff, Catherine Cortez Masto, and John Curtis are sponsoring the bill.
Google has already taken steps to align with these pressures. On June 2, the tech giant updated its policy to ban promoting prediction market contracts and related products in Ohio. This move mirrors a similar decision made earlier in Nevada, showing big tech is starting to respond to regulatory and labor concerns.
If the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act gains enough support in the Senate, prediction markets could face a nationwide shutdown by the end of next year.
Author bio: Lucas Caldwell, a tech opinion leader with millions of followers on X/Twitter, analyzes tech regulatory shifts and industry impacts.