One gambling law expert is questioning whether New Jersey’s big ‘FU’ to a federal ban on sports betting will work. I. Nelson Rose, author of the Gambling and the Law blog, told the Philadelphia Inquirer: “I thought it was bizarre, really, for Chris Christie to say, ‘OK, come and get me, coppers,’ to violate a major federal anti-gambling statute. It certainly is bad lawyering”.
It comes after New Jersey ignored the federal PASPA ban on sports betting in their state to write up a set of regulations for sports betting and gave residents 60 days to respond to them back in July. August came and the professional sports leagues expressed their disquiet at the situation. That only moved Senator Raymond Lesniak to become even more vociferous against the leagues that are challenging sports betting being allowed in New Jersey. He’s convinced it will lead to a recovery in Atlantic City and let it challenge Las Vegas when major sporting events are on. It will also allow Jersey residents to do something that’s perfectly legal and regulated in large parts of the developed world.
Staying in the Garden State, whoever gets to take over the state’s lottery sales will be encouraged to offer online play. The winner of the auction would have to pay the state $120 million up front for the contract, which runs until 2029 and could earn “10 times that amount” according to an article in the Asbury Park Press. The same article admitted that once legalized the winning bidder would be encouraged to offer online games as part of the package.
