Advanced Scouting Is Not Just a Problem for The Paris Summer Olympics
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By Patrick Egan
With the popularity and expansion of rules for major league sports micro-betting, drones may pose a new security risk and credibility issue for gamblers. As reported by the BBC, drones are gathering data on rival teams.
Odds makers will soon learn that major league sports venues are vulnerable to low-altitude data collection from drones and other high-tech data capture methods. No one associated with the sports leagues, law enforcement, or the FAA can tell you with certainty what is transpiring in the NAS at any given time.
The country just witnessed a significant airspace security flaw with federal law enforcement and the assassination attempt made on a US presidential candidate. The alleged perpetrator was purportedly able to fly a DJI drone, but LE was denied flying their drone by the Secret Service. A fair-minded person could postulate that the Secret Service would be concerned about quadcopter confusion, rightfully so, as a drone that is not immediately identifiable by all security details will cause confusion and be more of a liability than an asset.
Congress appropriates a considerable sum of money to DHS counter-terrorism, including C-UAS, for large events. However, even with an intense focus on terrorism, many consumer drones go undetected. The newest RID-compliant DJI AeroScope and the local sheriff or police department on speed dial are the current go-to SOPs for unauthorized drone incursions. However uneasy that makes sports fans feel, we must assume that the current SOPs constitute due diligence and indemnify stadium owners and facility managers with their respective liability underwriting insurance companies.
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Subtracting the terrorism threat, the fallout in attendance, and the demise and failure of the stadium model is the potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and taxes from the burgeoning sports micro-betting.
The MB entertainment value proposition is predicated on a fast-paced near real-time stream, allowing fans to make bets on the action. As the game progresses, odds and betting opportunities will change and evolve. However, the specter of advanced scouting with drones could cause issues for the leagues and sportsbooks, bringing unwanted regulatory action as federal, state, and local municipalities look to safeguard consumers as well as billions of dollars in tax revenue.
Besides the unwanted government attention, when the micro-betters learn that criminals are advance scouting (and I don’t just mean the cellphone app bookies) beating them out of their bankroll, it will be back to the numbers racket for some honest action—again, cutting out the taxman.
The potential loss of profits and tax revenue could serve as the catalyst to bring new and earnest investment into mitigation technology and strategies for effective dual-use Counter-Soprano-crewed Systems (C-UAS). Effective C-UAS is a long-understood vulnerability that requires immediate attention, as it is common knowledge that the current snake oil systems are woefully lacking and have proven themselves to be easily defeated.
Follow Patrick Egan on X @TheDroneDealer