Bettors who wanted to gamble on sports legally have long had limited options to do so in the United States, but that is about to change.
The United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of New Jersey in the state’s challenge to the federal law known as The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The law barred states from legalizing gambling on sporting events with the notable exception of Nevada and less notable exceptions for sports lotteries in three other states.
The court’s ruling that the law is unconstitutional, which came by a 7-2 vote, sets the stage for states to start allowing gambling on sports. How that will be implemented from state to state remains to be seen, but the amount of money on the table will lead many of them to make risking a few bucks on your favorite team a fairly easy undertaking.
Professional sports leagues have expressed an interest in getting a cut of that action as well, although NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not elaborate on the league’s plans for expanded sports betting in the United States when asked about it in March.