Several years ago, Delaware tried — and failed — to implement betting on individuals sporting events. New Jersey also has tried, and continues to fail. For now.
Via the Associated Press, a federal appeals court has rejected the argument that the 1990 federal law aimed at restricting the proliferation of sports wagering in states where sports wagering didn’t already exist violates the U.S. Constitution. One of the three judges disagreed with the ruling, giving the powers-that-be in New Jersey a plausible basis for optimism.
“For the first time, a judge has ruled in our favor,” state senator Ray Lesniak said. “That gives us hope that others, either Supreme Court justices or the entire Court of Appeals for our district, will allow New Jersey to enjoy the economic benefits of sports betting that are now reserved exclusively for Nevada.”
The next step will be to seek a rehearing before all judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Then, the case would head to the U.S. Supreme Court, which only takes up a small percentage of the cases presented to it.
Typically, the Supreme Court gets involved only when the various circuit courts throughout the country have reached different results on the same issue, or when the rulings of the lower courts are clearly wrong.
The NFL and other sports leagues aggressively resist the expansion of sports wagering. Making the situation even more awkward is the fact that the next Super Bowl will be played in New Jersey. If New Jersey somehow gets its way, it’s the only Super Bowl that ever will be played there.