With the judicial calendar coming to an end in June, the United States Supreme Court is set to rule soon on the New Jersey sports betting case, Christie vs. NCAA. The case centers around the state trying to have the right to regulate their own sports betting industry. Efforts of the state have been blocked by national sports leagues and the only way the state can begin offering such wagering options is if SCOTUS decides to rule the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act as unconstitutional.
Last year, the highest court in the land decided to hear the appeal of the state. This was a surprising move as the court rarely considers the cases presented. In December, the parties involved provided oral arguments with analysts predicting that the state would win, being allowed to offer sports betting within their borders.
It is believed that the court may make their ruling on May 14th, the next possible date open for SCOTUS. In anticipation of the ruling, several states have been considering their own sports betting legislation with some already having passed bills into law. Connecticut, West Virginia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York all have laws on the books, ready to begin if sports betting is legalized across the nation.
If sports betting were to become a legalized activity in the United States, it would mark a significant change within the gambling industry of the country. Currently, only Nevada offers full service sports betting and they would have stiff competition as more states would certainly take advantage of this lucrative industry.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are lost every year due to illegal sports wagers in the US. With legalization, consumers would be better protected and have the ability to wager on major sporting events in categories involving NFL games, the NBA, MLB and more.
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