[News] US Supreme Court strikes down federal law banning sports betting

[getbak]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/u...ew-jersey.html

More than 25 years ago, the US government imposed a federal law that effectively made sports betting illegal. Nevada was exempt from the law because it was already legal there when the law was enacted.

In 2011 and again in 2014 New Jersey tried to legalize sports betting in the state but lost legal challenges brought by the four major league sports because it violated the federal law.

The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, who ruled today, striking down the federal law.

The Supreme Court has said that the federal government may not commandeer state resources to achieve federal objectives. On the other hand, the court has said that the federal government may regulate all sorts of things directly and that federal laws pre-empt contrary state laws under the Constitution’s supremacy clause.

In Monday’s decision in the case, Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, No. 16-476, the court ruled that the 1992 law amounted to unconstitutional commandeering.

It is unclear what impact this ruling will have in the short term. Presumably, the Atlantic City Casinos will soon be opening sports books like those in Vegas. It will also likely lead to an increase in online sports betting sites getting set-up in States where this gets legalized.



The Canadian gaming industry is hoping this ruling will lead to changes to the laws in Canada, which currently allow limited sports betting through the lottery: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/sports-bett...nada-1.4662311


The NHLPA issued this statement...

[SoulOfTheFlame]

[burn_this_city]

[burn_this_city]

We posted the same clip at the same time with different quality.

[Weitz]

Good news. No reason you shouldn't be able to bet your money on whatever you please.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Good news. No reason you shouldn't be able to bet your money on whatever you please.

Imagine the devastating hit to a multitude of cocky Oilers fans’ wallets had this decision been rendered before last NHL season commenced.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by timbit

Imagine the devastating hit to a multitude of cocky Oilers fans’ wallets had this decision been rendered before last NHL season commenced.

Uhh, they all lost their shirts to Nevada's bookies.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Uhh, they all lost their shirts to Nevada's bookies.

Eww, I didn't need the mental image of shirtless Oilers fans.

[CroFlames]

Seems ridiculous you couldn't freely bet on sports like the rest of the world does.

Puritan Americans I guess.

[lazypucker]

So when will we start seeing streakers advertising for online gambling sites?

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Seems ridiculous you couldn't freely bet on sports like the rest of the world does.

Puritan Americans I guess.

It wasn't so much caring about betting itself, it was the IRS worried they wouldnt get their share of taxes...much like the shutdown of online poker sites in the US.

[Party Elephant]

Whenever you watch a televised sport in New Zealand, be it rugby or cricket, the pregame show will have a 5 minute segment specifically discussing betting. They'll show all sorts of odds and different things to bet on (who scores first, who leads at halftime, etc). I imagine we'll start to see those segments in American sports now too.

[Resolute 14]

Maybe. The US is still ridiculously puritanical about things, and we'll have to see whether other states follow New Jersey's lead.