Sports Betting in New Jersey a Realistic Possibility
""The bad side of this particular lawsuit (iMEGA, et al v. Holder, et al) is if they're successful, gambling can actually spread around the other different states," he notes. "On the other hand, if they're successful, it also gives more states rights and less control of the federal government over the individual states."
Mat Staver - head of the Liberty Counsel and Dean of the Law School at Liberty University.
Those of us here at Gambling911.com can't help but see this as a truly "pragmatic" view from the right.
Currently sports wagering can only be done in four states, but New Jersey wants to participate because casino gambling is down, as is state income.
Staver points out another downside. "Obviously we ought to be very concerned about gambling in any form because it is certainly deleterious to our communities and it ultimately, oftentimes, preys on people with lower incomes."
A consultant hired by State Senator Raymond Lesniak, who filed the lawsuit, indicates sports betting could become a $10 billion a year industry in New Jersey by 2011.
"Each week it seems the states are losing out on opportunities during this time of economic recession," says Payton O'Brien of Gambling911.com. "The last few weeks we have witnessed record traffic associated with the NCAA March Madness betting. This week there is no shortage of people searching for betting odds on the upcoming US Open Golf Championship."
The "Mother of all Sports Betting Events" is played out the first weekend in May. That's when the Kentucky Derby will generate millions of dollars in revenue.
Ironically, iMEGA has been fighting a battle with the state of Kentucky to prevent the commonwealth from seizing some 141 online gambling domain names.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
