[h=1]Christie issues directive allowing casinos, racetracks to offer sports betting[/h]
Monday, September 08, 2014
ATLANTIC CITY (WABC) --
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, ahead of a summit to discuss the future of Atlantic City, has issued a directive allowing state casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting without fear of criminal or civil liability.
But his action is likely to be challenged in court by the professional and collegiate sports leagues that fought New Jersey's efforts to overturn a ban on sports betting in all but four states.
That effort ended with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear the case.
The governor says he took his cue from previous federal court rulings that found that nothing in New Jersey law prohibits the casinos and horse racing tracks from offering sports betting.
Christie says they can start offering it today, if they like.
In 2012 New Jersey passed the Sports Wagering Act to license and regulate the extensive sports wagering that already was going on within the state. New Jersey was then sued in federal court based on a statute from 1992 -- the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) -- which prohibits the state from authorizing or licensing sports betting.
Relying on PASPA, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Shipp issued an injunction in February 2013 enjoining the imposition of New Jersey's comprehensive licensing and oversight regime.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently upheld the District Court's action, but, at the same time, made clear that New Jersey was free to remove prohibitions against sports wagering.
The Third Circuit's decision mirrored the express arguments of both the sports leagues and the United States Department of Justice, both of which stated that nothing in PASPA prohibited New Jersey from removing its prohibitions against sports wagering.
Monday, September 08, 2014
ATLANTIC CITY (WABC) --
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, ahead of a summit to discuss the future of Atlantic City, has issued a directive allowing state casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting without fear of criminal or civil liability.
But his action is likely to be challenged in court by the professional and collegiate sports leagues that fought New Jersey's efforts to overturn a ban on sports betting in all but four states.
That effort ended with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear the case.
The governor says he took his cue from previous federal court rulings that found that nothing in New Jersey law prohibits the casinos and horse racing tracks from offering sports betting.
Christie says they can start offering it today, if they like.
In 2012 New Jersey passed the Sports Wagering Act to license and regulate the extensive sports wagering that already was going on within the state. New Jersey was then sued in federal court based on a statute from 1992 -- the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) -- which prohibits the state from authorizing or licensing sports betting.
Relying on PASPA, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Shipp issued an injunction in February 2013 enjoining the imposition of New Jersey's comprehensive licensing and oversight regime.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently upheld the District Court's action, but, at the same time, made clear that New Jersey was free to remove prohibitions against sports wagering.
The Third Circuit's decision mirrored the express arguments of both the sports leagues and the United States Department of Justice, both of which stated that nothing in PASPA prohibited New Jersey from removing its prohibitions against sports wagering.
