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EASL Blog Post: The End of the Fight for Sports Betting in NJ?

By James E. Woodson III posted 08-21-2014 10:56 AM

  
Issuing what may be the final death sentence to legal sports betting in the State of New Jersey, at least for the near future, Governor Chris Christie vetoed bill S2250 on Friday, August 8, 2014. The bill, authored by State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20), was designed to circumvent the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, a federal statute that prohibits sports betting in the United States, excluding a few states (Oregon, Delaware, Montana, and Nevada). PASPA was recently upheld by a New Jersey federal district court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals after the four major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) and the NCAA brought suit to stop New Jersey's efforts to bring sports gambling to the State.

While Governor Christie had previously declared his support for legalized sports betting in the State, he ultimately decided to veto Lesniak's bill, stating that "while I support the intentions of the Legislature to continue our shared commitment to enhancing the economic viability of our gaming industry, I cannot sign this bill, which was introduced on the same day the Supreme Court declined to hear our appeal, and then was rushed to final passage just three days later. Ignoring federal law, rather than working to reform federal standards, is counter to our democratic traditions and inconsistent with the Constitutional values I have sworn to defend and protect."

Senator Lesniak, stating that Governor Christie has "given up," has vowed to continue his fight for the bill, pushing for a legislative override of the Governor's veto. To succeed, he would have to secure a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. The bill originally passed the NJ Assembly and Senate, 63-6-11 and 38-1-1, respectively. However, in his nearly five years in office, Governor Christie has never seen his veto successfully overridden by the Legislature.

If Senator Lesniak's veto override campaign fails, New Jersey's hopes of legalizing sports betting in the state lie with Congressmen Frank Lobiondo (R-NJ) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) who have separately introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would amend PASPA to allow sports betting in New Jersey. However, chances of passage are slim, since expanding PASPA to include legalized sports betting in New Jersey would hurt the gaming industry in Nevada, the home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. 

To read more about Governor Christie's veto of S2250, visit http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/08/christie_vetoes_bill_that_would_have_allowed_sports_betting_at_nj_casinos_race_tracks.html and http://www.4flush.com/casino-news/inside-the-chris-christie-new-jersey-sports-betting-veto/17548

To read S2250, visit http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/S2500/2250_I1.HTM

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James Woodson Esq.
Newsletter/Website Committee
Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section
New Brunswick NJ
(732) 993-8796
www.twitter.com/jameswoodson3
www.linkedin.com/in/jameswoodson3
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