Taking a break from poker law, today we will be discussing the sports betting issue within the state of New Jersey. For years now, the state has tried to see legislation passed in 2014 become law. The state decided to legalize sports betting but have been shot down on a federal level time and time again.
In 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was put in place that banned sports betting from taking place in the United States expect in particular areas including Nevada and Delaware. New Jersey has seen previous rulings that their new law is in violation of federal law, the PASPA. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has now ruled the same yet again.
The court ruled that the legislation passed in 2014 by New Jersey officials is invalid. The PASPA was created to limit gaming, offering Delaware the opportunity to offer parlay wagering and Nevada the choice to provide single-game sports betting options. New Jersey could have been grandfathered in but had chosen not to do so. The state is claiming that the PASPA is unconstitutional.
When New Jersey passed the measure, sports leagues decided to sue the state in an effort to stop the law from being implemented. So far, the leagues have been successful. The Supreme Court of the US has been asked to state their opinion on the matter but have so far declined to do so. The most recent ruling was a fight to even get to as the 3rd Circuit court did not even want to conduct a hearing and had declined to do so in the past.
For now, it is unclear as to what the state will do in regards to continuing to fight to provide sports betting to state residents. It may be that the state has to rely on federal reform of some sort, hopefully seeing the government giving individual states the right to offer such gambling options.
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