In a surprising decision, the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a law enacted in 1992 that barred state-authorized sports bets on single sporting events, with the lone exception of Nevada.
The law was struck down 6-3.
The challenge to the existing legislation came from New Jersey, as the state seeks to bring in new revenue to supplement Atlantic City casinos.
The judgment comes after a six-year push by Chris Christie’s administration to authorize sports betting at the state level, based on the argument that the ban violated the Tenth Amendment which prohibits federal laws that order states to implement federal policies.
So, who’s first to place your sports bets?
A number of states have prepared to legalize sports bets in the event PAPSA is overturned. New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, West Virginia, Iowa, and Mississippi are on board, while Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, and California are on deck.
If you live in one of the other states and are chomping at the bit to place a bet on your favorite teams, hang tight and start writing your representatives. I’m sure the wave will stir the debate in your area soon.
Although, some experts are betting on an average of 32 states eventually enacting some form of sports bets legislation, leaving 18 of you without a fix.
On the other side of the fight, professional leagues have fought against sports gambling for decades, but their arguments just fouled off into the stands.
The NBA and the MLB have already voiced terms for their blessing and have been lobbying states to cut them in on total wagers placed.
Their stance is that the new revenue generated from the repeal of PAPSA is entirely based on their products – the games – and the leagues will now face increasing costs to combat game fixing and internal corruption.
The NFL released a statement a few hours after the Supreme Court’s ruling hit the wires, calling for lawmakers to “enact a core regulatory framework” for sports bets, as it would be easier to adapt to one set of rules instead of thirty.
Their main reason for this singular piece of regulation:
“The potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events.”
The NBA has also joined the NFL in a call for a single regulation structure. It remains to be seen which states will give in and allow sports bets within their borders, but the smart money is on the fact that states won’t be able to resist that sweet, sweet vig.
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