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New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak, who co-sponsored a bill to legalize sports betting in the Garden State, laughed off reports that the four major sports leagues and NCAA had filed a suit to prevent his bill from moving forward.
"They took the bait," he said. "This is what we were expecting and hoping for. The sooner we get into court, the sooner New Jersey residents are going to be able to enjoy sports betting at our casinos and racetracks."
Governor Chris Christie has already pledged his full support for legalizing sports betting in the state. He, too, acknowledged a possible lawsuit was forthcoming. The complainants claim Governor Christie, et al. are in violation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection act that was enacted in 1992.
Neighboring Delaware had already been sued by the National Football League some years back but continues to offer sports betting. They recently passed a measure that would now allow wagering on sports over the Internet.
Lesniak said the state would have had to wait until it issued a sports betting license to a casino or racetrack as a means of challenging the federal law had the sports leagues not filed the lawsuit. This lawsuit only serves to accelerate matters, Lesniak insisted.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
