Sports Betting in NJ Still Banned

Sports betting in NJ still banned ESPNATLANTIC CITY, N.J. The Supreme Court on Monday left in place a ban on sports gambling in New Jersey, rebuffing an attempt to bring betting on professional and college sporting events to Atlantic City casinos and the state's racetracks.

The US Supreme Court allows sports betting ban in NJ to remain and declines to hear plea for sports betting so letting stand an injunction blocking New Jersey from legalizing sports betting.

Pro sports associations argue that gambling undercuts the integrity of games.

They also cited the 1992 federal law that prohibited the promotion and licensing of sports betting in all but four states – Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. PASPA was aimed at limiting the growth of sports betting across the nation.

It sought to protect the integrity of professional and collegiate sports by restricting gambling activities to a select few states.

At the time of its passing, New Jersey was offered the same exemption but declined.

Now Nineteen years later, New Jersey has changed its mind.

Voters passed a referendum in 2011 supporting legalized betting on sports events at casinos and racetracks in the state.

In response to the vote, the legislature enacted a law and state officials drew up regulations to introduce sports wagering.

The NCAA, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB responded by filing a lawsuit asking a federal judge to block sports betting in New Jersey.

The judge agreed and issued an injunction blocking state officials from moving forward with their plan.

On appeal, a panel of the Third US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia upheld the injunction. New Jersey's challenge to PASPA ultimately reached the Supreme Court.

In May 2018, the Court struck down PASPA, allowing states to legalize sports betting independently.

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