New Jersey Votes For Sports Betting

the ballot was favored by 66 percent of voters, with 34 percent opposed.

"New Jersey voters have sent Congress a message that its law which has allowed sports betting in Las Vegas, but not in Atlantic City, is unfair," said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, an Elizabeth Democrat who has been the Legislature's biggest proponent of sports betting. "I'm confident the federal courts will see that injustice as well as the law's other constitutional infirmities, and overturn it."

Lesniak said he will introduce legislation on Thursday laying the groundwork for sports betting in New Jersey. He said the bill would be fast-tracked through the Legislature and sent to the governor to sign before Jan. 10

And who is responsible for the Federal ban on sports betting? None other that our very own former Senator and NBA great.

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_ent...ind_sports_betting_ban_stands_his_ground.html

I wouldn't hold my breath on this one.

The federal ban will eventually be overturned, but it will likely be a long, arduous process.

actually, bradley gave NJ an out, as pointed out deep in this story. The state was give 2 years to authorize sports betting if it wanted to. It failed to do so.

Actually, I think yesterday's vote starts the ball rolling toward an inevitable conclusion. Once the state approves legislation authorizing sports betting, it will have standing to challenge the federal ban in court. It may take years, but many legal experts that have been interviewed on the subject say the ban will eventually be overturned. The feds simply cannot say that an activity is legal in one state and not in others.

It would be helpful if the two NBA owners who also own casinos, Maloof at Sacremento and Gilbert in Cleveland, began to educate their fellow owners on this as well.

much work needs to be done before the first bets can be placed.

Besides the courts, there is another, less-likely, route for overturning PASPA
( "Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act" ) through Congressional action.

But this would require the House and Senate taking the extraordinary action of overturning a law passed by a previous Congress. Not unprecedented, but very improbable. And given the toxic atmosphere in Washington, it’s unlikely that any legislation at all will get to President Obama’s desk between now and November 2012.

The action by the voters is likely to mobilize opponents of sports betting, most prominent among them the NFL but also including the NCAA. [The wording of the referendum prohibits betting on any college game played in New Jersey, and also excludes wagers on any college game involving a New Jersey team.]

Noted law professor Nelson Rose, who writes a regular column on the often-tortured relationship between gambling and the law, says that there is a good chance that a New Jersey suit challenging the (PASPA) will be successful. But don’t expect immediate action.

“Court cases take time,” Rose wrote in a recent column. “Even though there will be no facts in dispute, it will still be months before . . . the trial judge can issue a ruling. Then, assuming New Jersey wins, the important question will be whether the state will be allowed to start accepting bets on sports events immediately.”

Others aren’t so sure New Jersey’s case can survive in the courts, pointing to the Commerce Clause in the Constitution which limits the power of states to regulate the economy and grants the federal government overall control in matters that involve other nations, Indian tribes and the states.

But Joe Brennan Jr., president of the lobbying group iMEGA (Interactive Media and Entertainment Gaming Association), was delighted with the result.

“Sports betting in New Jersey is now inevitable,” .... Brennan said.

it will likely end up like delaware parlays only no straight bets. The NFL will fight against this like they did a few years ago and win.
I don't see why people get excited about news like this once the NFL and their lawyers get involved things will bog down.

Now Nevada casinos empty their pockets to prevent the congress from changing the law allowing NJ to get sports betting.

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Written by
Bob Jordan | Statehouse Bureau

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Voters in a statewide nonbinding referendum Tuesday approved allowing sports betting in New Jersey, but there’s a catch: Bets on football and basketball games and other events won’t be legal until a federal ban is lifted or repealed.

The sole statewide question on the ballot was favored by 60 percent of voters, with 40 percent opposed, with 76 percent of precincts reporting. The nonbinding question asked whether New Jersey should pass a law that would be the first step toward permitting sports betting at Atlantic City casinos, the state’s four horse tracks and a former racetrack site in Cherry Hill. The bets could be made in-person or through telephone and online accounts.

State Sen. Ray Lesniak, D-Union, led the effort to make the issue a public question. Lesniak said he was “delighted” by the results. He said he will now introduce a sports betting bill in the upper house on Thursday.

“This is on the fast track. I want to get it to the governor’s desk by the end of the year, so by this time next year Monmouth Park, the casinos and the Meadowlands will be packed with people enjoying a new form of entertainment,” Lesniak said.

The proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow sports betting will be tied to whether New Jersey can successfully knock down a federal ban on wagering in 46 states. Only Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana were grandfathered under the 1992 law.

Despite the casino and racing industries in line to benefit from hosting sports betting, those industries opted not to fund a campaign in support of the vote, according to Lesniak and William J. Pascrell III, campaign director for Vote YES on Sports Wagering and a partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group.

“That’s OK. I, along with my law firm, have been pulling this train alone for a long time,” Lesniak said of the lack of support.

“I’m ecstatic with the result. I’m doing cartwheels. It was all social media, shoe leather and earned media,” Pascrell said. “The casinos in the state of New Jersey really lucked out, because this will help Atlantic City. We were fortunate there was little in formal opposition.

Under the proposal, bets would not be allowed on team sports but not on any college sports or athletic events that take place in New Jersey or in which a New Jersey college team is playing.

Gov. Chris Christie hadn’t taken a strong stand on the issue until last week when he proclaimed to be all-in on legalizing sports betting.

“I think it's important for New Jersey to have this option. I don't think it's fair that it's restricted to just a few states. Gaming is surrounding us everywhere,” he said.

Christie passed on a chance in 2010 to join a complaint filed by two state lawmakers in federal court saying the ban affecting New Jersey is unconstitutional. But Christie said approval of sports betting by voters would prompt his support of a refiled complaint.

“My problem all along was, without this type of referendum, the lawsuit was bound for failure,” the Republican governor said.

Contributing: Associated PressBob Jordan 609-984-4343

In light of the overwhelming support for sports betting in the referendum, NJ Congressman Frank Pallone plans to introduce a bill on Monday giving the state an exemption from the federal ban on sports betting. With the bill, Pallone is hoping NJ can avoid a long and costly legal battle.

It sounds like a good idea, except there's a catch: Pallone's bill would not allow wagering on college games:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/133584828.html