New Jersey makes bid to revive casino and horse racing
TRENTON, N.J — State sovereignty, not point spreads, took center stage Thursday as lawyers for New Jersey and the Department of Justice sparred over the constitutionality of a 21-year-old federal law prohibiting all but four states from allowing legal sports betting.
At stake is New Jersey’s attempt to revive its casino and horse racing industries by grabbing a piece of what is considered a multibillion-dollar sports wagering pie — not to mention stanching the flow of gamblers and dollars to Nevada casinos where sports betting is legal.
Thursday’s arguments before U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp likely are far from the last in the lawsuit filed last year by the four major pro sports leagues and the NCAA to stop New Jersey from allowing sports betting. Shipp said he would rule within two weeks, but it is almost a certainty the case will go to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly to the Supreme Court.
New Jersey has attacked the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, on several constitutional levels. In filings, the state has argued the law unfairly “grandfathered” Nevada and three other states that already have some form of sports gambling. New Jersey said the law violated state sovereignty and equal protection provisions and trampled the authority of state legislatures under the 10th Amendment.
