The sports gambling world is still on pins and needles, waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to issue its ruling on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). PASPA prohibits virtually all states from offering sports gambling activities, giving that ability to almost exclusively Nevada. New Jersey has repeatedly tried to have PASPA tossed out of the game, but its multiple pleas have fallen on deaf ears. It looks like the state’s relentless pursuit could finally pay off, as virtually everyone expects the court to repeal the law.
In repeatedly trying to have PASPA overturned, the Garden State has racked up quite the tab. It has over $7 million in legal fees related to its five-year fight, with the payments reportedly coming out of revenue generated from the state’s casinos and racetracks. The information was divulged from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by news outlet Observer.
Information in the FOIA request revealed that the law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has billed former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a total of $5.6 million. The firm represented Christie beginning in October of 2012 until August of 2017. When Christie left office last year, the firm was retained by New Jersey’s new governor, Phil Murphy.
It’s worth pointing out that Gibson Dunn & Crutcher was the law firm retained by Christie to investigate “Bridgegate” in 2013. In that scandal, Christie, in conjunction with staff and political appointees were accused of collusion in creating traffic jams along the George Washington Bridge. Two of three toll lanes were shut down without notification on September 9 of that year, and weren’t reopened until September 13. Rumors circulated that the action was a retaliatory measure by Christie, or at least his subordinates, but it was never proven that Christie had any involvement.
Gibbons P.C. is another law firm that has been on retainer by the state since December 2012. It has billed the state legislature approximately $1.5 million from then until February of this year. It has also sent bills to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority for $77,000 worth of legal guidance it provided between November 2014 and January 2015.
If PASPA is overturned, it will cause a massive influx of legalized sports gambling operations around the country. A minimum of 17 states are hoping to get in on the game, and to grab part of an industry that collects around $150 billion annually. There is no word yet on when, and if the Supreme Court will make its announcement.
