Sports Betting Law Denied
December 9, 2016
On November 21, 2014, U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp blocked a New Jersey law that would have allowed legal betting on sporting events at certain venues in the state. New Jersey officials had been involved in a multi-year legal struggle over the measure and had hoped that legalized sports wagering would generate revenue for Atlantic City’s struggling gambling industry.
In an over thirty page opinion in the matter, captioned National Collegiate Athletic Association et al. v. Christie et al., (Index No.: 3:2012cv 04947), Judge Shipp wrote that the law signed last month by Governor Chris Christie, “would have the same primary effect of the 2012 law—allowing sports wagering in New Jersey’s casinos and racetracks…” and would thereby violate a federal statute which bans sports betting in nearly all U.S. States. By way of background, voters had approved the idea of legal sports betting in 2011, and the following year Governor Christie signed a bill enacting the sports betting. Following this, the NBA, NFL, and other sports leagues successfully sued, arguing that the law violated the federal ban. Governor Christie then attempted to revive the State’s push for sports betting by signing a partial repeal bill that would allow betting at state-licensed casinos and racetracks. Judge Shipp’s recent opinion issued a permanent injunction thwarting the State’s attempt to revive the measure.