
The NFL, other major sports leagues and the federal government scored a legal victory Thursday when a federal judge ruled in favor of their efforts to block New Jersey’s plans to offer sports wagering.
In a written opinion granting a permanent injunction blocking New Jersey from enacting sports betting, U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp ruled that existing federal gaming law, which limits sports betting to just four states, is constitutional.
State Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak, a supporter of expanding gaming in New Jersey, told multiple media outlets Friday that the state plans to appeal the ruling.
In an email to PFT, NFL vice president of corporate communications Brian McCarthy said that the “ruling speaks for itself.”
In addition to the NFL, the NCAA, NBA, NHL and MLB are plaintiffs in the suit against New Jersey, which ramped up its efforts to offer sports betting last year.
This isn’t the first time sports leagues have fought expanded efforts to wager upon their games. The NFL and other leagues previously fought Delaware’s plans to offer a wide array of sports wagering. The state is allowed to take parlay, or multi-game bets, on pro football games.
The ruling is also a victory for Nevada, the only state that can offer single-game sports betting.