N.J. makes another pitch to get Supreme Court to allow sports betting

New Jersey’s chances of getting the U.S. Supreme Court to consider its effort to legalize sports gambling hinge on how a bedrock constitutional principle is applied. The state argued in briefs this week that the federal government is barred from forcing states to repeal or reinstate their own laws. It’s an issue at the heart of… Read the rest of this entry »

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Kyrillos and Lesniak Fast Track Sports Betting Legislation

Sen. Joe Kyrillos

Senators Joe Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) and Ray Lesniak have teamed up to sponsor legislation that will counter the professional sports leagues latest attempts to block sports betting in New Jersey.

The bill, which will be introduced during the Senate’s next session, would explicitly abolish language in state law that prohibits sports betting, a move that would reinforce the state attorney general’s effort to lift the injunction preventing the state from moving forward on plans to allow casinos and racetracks to accept wagers on sporting events. The measure would also prohibit the transport of sports-betting equipment across state lines and set an age requirement of 21 years old.

Last month acting Attorney General John Hoffman issued a directive that instructed law enforcement not to prosecute sports betting at racetracks and casinos.  The Christie Administration asked U. S. District Judge Michael Shipp to rule that New Jersey is not violating federal law by decriminalizing sports betting  and allowing private entities to operate and regulate the betting.

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