DOJ Says New Jersey Governor Has No Standing
The Department of Justice is opposing New Jersey Gov. Corzine joining the PASPA challenge as a plaintiff, saying he lacks the standing or interest to intervene.
Corzine is working to get sports betting legalized in the state.
"The Constitutional claims that the Governor seeks to advance do not belong to him, they belong to the state of New Jersey," the DOJ claims in its Brief in Opposition.
He lacks a cognizable interest, the DOJ further asserts.
Corzine announced last month he would seek to intervene in support of a federal lawsuit filed by state Sen. Raymond Lesniak in an effort to overturn a federal ban on sports betting in New Jersey and 45 other states.
"The federal government's prohibition on sports betting for some but not all states is fundamentally unfair," Governor Corzine said. "There should be uniformity in the application of federal law. If one state is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity."
Since 1992, federal law has outlawed wagering on sports except in four states, Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Delaware. Last month, Delaware took advantage of its exemption in the federal law to legalize sports betting and table games at its three horse racing facilities.
Legalized sports betting in Delaware is a cause for concern within the gaming industry in New Jersey because it puts Atlantic City at a competitive disadvantage. Some estimates say as much as $10 billion could be bet on sports annually in New Jersey if such wagers were legal and could generate $100 million in tax revenue for the state.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
