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.
Quote:
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.
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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...