Sports gambling is now legal nationwide following a landmark Supreme Court decision. The Court’s justices voted 7-2 in favor of Chris Christie and the state of New Jersey to make sports gambling legal nationwide.
The Court announced its decision Monday morning. Each state will now have the right to legalize betting.
Breaking: The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a federal anti-sports gambling law, giving states the go-ahead to allow betting on sports. pic.twitter.com/7fWnAX4pbG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 14, 2018
A great day for the rights of states and their people to make their own decisions. New Jersey citizens wanted sports gambling and the federal Gov't had no right to tell them no. The Supreme Court agrees with us today. I am proud to have fought for the rights of the people of NJ.
— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) May 14, 2018
Poor Chris Christie wanted the sports betting case to be legacy-defining. But #SCOTUS changed the case name to that of his predecessor because … that's how they roll. pic.twitter.com/lWkHu0WwUI
— 𝘾𝙛. (@cristianafarias) May 14, 2018
States Have Opportunity
Christie has pushed for this legislation since 2012. New Jersey plans to be the first state to take advantage of its new opportunity, but it won’t be the only one.
"Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act on its own."
Flood gates are open. 4 states already have laws in place ready for this moment (NJ, WV, PA & MS) and more than 20 are in line now.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) May 14, 2018
The decision overruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA), which had been in effect since 1992. This law barred states from authorizing sports gambling (with a select few exceptions).
“Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act on its own,” the Supreme Court wrote. “Our job is to interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution. PAPSA is not.”
The legal battle between New Jersey and the NCAA and big four sports leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL) had lasted six years.
Nearly $5 billion was wagered at Nevada sports books in 2017. The economic impact of this legislation will be massive.
Live look at my bank account now that sports gambling is legal pic.twitter.com/lCDrmVx9gr
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 14, 2018
Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA have campaigned for this legalization for nearly four years. But other leagues — most notably the NFL — have remained vocally opposed to it.
Sports gambling is already legal in a number of other countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.
