- Feb 26, 2001
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http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/08/07/four-pro-sports-leagues-ncaa-sue-n-j-over-sports-betting/
The four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA filed a lawsuit Tuesday against New Jersey officials for implementing sports betting in the state.
The state?s push to legalize sports gambling, which had bipartisan political support and passed by voter referendum, ?threatens the integrity? of the games and ?undermines the public?s faith and confidence? in team sports,? according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. It could also lead fans to suspect games are being rigged, the leagues wrote.
?Sports gambling in New Jersey would irreparably harm amateur and professional sports by fostering suspicion that individual plays and final scores of games have been influenced by factors other than honest athletic competition,? wrote the teams in the 12-page complaint.
New Jersey amended its state constitution last December to authorize wagering on professional sports at Atlantic City casinos and state racetracks. Voters passed a pro-gambling referendum backed by Republican Gov. Chris Christie and top Democrats in November.
Monmouth Park racetrack is trying to open a sports betting parlor in the fall, based on new gambling regulations passed by the Legislature and signed by Christie earlier this year.
The governor is named as a defendant in the suit, as are the state director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the director of the state Racing Commission.
The plaintiffs are the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA.
State Sen. Ray Lesniak, a Democrat who is a leading proponent of the gambling expansion, cheered the lawsuit, saying it was expected and will ultimately help move the process forward.
?Let the games begin,? Lesniak said on Tuesday. ?From the start, we wanted our day in court to prove that the federal ban on sports wagering is unconstitutional.?
A 1993 federal statute gave states a year to authorize sports betting. Only five states currently permit it, with Nevada the only state offering full-fledged sports betting.
The lawsuit seeks a court declaration that New Jersey?s sports-betting law violates the federal statute and permanently bans the efforts to allow sports gambling in the state.
The four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA filed a lawsuit Tuesday against New Jersey officials for implementing sports betting in the state.
The state?s push to legalize sports gambling, which had bipartisan political support and passed by voter referendum, ?threatens the integrity? of the games and ?undermines the public?s faith and confidence? in team sports,? according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court. It could also lead fans to suspect games are being rigged, the leagues wrote.
?Sports gambling in New Jersey would irreparably harm amateur and professional sports by fostering suspicion that individual plays and final scores of games have been influenced by factors other than honest athletic competition,? wrote the teams in the 12-page complaint.
New Jersey amended its state constitution last December to authorize wagering on professional sports at Atlantic City casinos and state racetracks. Voters passed a pro-gambling referendum backed by Republican Gov. Chris Christie and top Democrats in November.
Monmouth Park racetrack is trying to open a sports betting parlor in the fall, based on new gambling regulations passed by the Legislature and signed by Christie earlier this year.
The governor is named as a defendant in the suit, as are the state director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the director of the state Racing Commission.
The plaintiffs are the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA.
State Sen. Ray Lesniak, a Democrat who is a leading proponent of the gambling expansion, cheered the lawsuit, saying it was expected and will ultimately help move the process forward.
?Let the games begin,? Lesniak said on Tuesday. ?From the start, we wanted our day in court to prove that the federal ban on sports wagering is unconstitutional.?
A 1993 federal statute gave states a year to authorize sports betting. Only five states currently permit it, with Nevada the only state offering full-fledged sports betting.
The lawsuit seeks a court declaration that New Jersey?s sports-betting law violates the federal statute and permanently bans the efforts to allow sports gambling in the state.
