New Jersey has been persistently trying to get around the federal ban on sports betting outside of four states, and that fight continues today. Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would repeal all current laws on the books prohibiting and regulating sports betting, which the federal government says is legal.
This comes as a reaction to an August federal appeals court ruling which invalidated a 2014 law that would have allowed sports betting at casinos and race tracks across the state. Since the new bill that was introduced would repeal all restrictions anywhere, at any time, lawyers say then the state could attempt to re-introduce some restrictions without violating an act from 1992.
The state has been attempting to overturn this law or find away around it since 2009 that would in essence legalize sports betting in New Jersey. Four states met a 1991 deadline to legalize sports betting: Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon.
“They will not stop — the state, the casino industry, the racetracks, New Jersey lawmakers will do whatever it takes to land sports betting,” sports law attorney Daniel Wallach said.
One thing working in their favor might be a new Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released Wednesday that found 48 percent of people support changing federal law to make sports betting legal. Only 39 percent are opposed. The biggest reasons given were that it’s already going to happen anyway (45 percent) and that legalized sports betting would increase revenue for their state (39 percent).
What is for certain is that the state is still trying to get around these laws as hard as they can, but haven’t hit the sweet spot yet. The state could use the extra revenue, and wants to revive its casinos, especially in Atlantic City, so it seems they will continue to keep on trying until they finally nail what they’re after.
[AP]
