New Jersey will get another shot to make its argument for legalized sports betting after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit granted the state an en banc rehearing of its case Wednesday.
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New Jersey passed a law to allow sports betting but was sued in 2012 by the four major sports leagues and the NCAA.
New Jersey said it relied on that ruling when it crafted the 2014 law to partially repeal its pre-existing ban, but the August appeals panel said that still wasn’t enough to overcome the federal law.
New Jersey lost the case, but it tried again previous year with new legislation that attempts an end-run around the ban – which prohibits states from authorizing, sponsoring, operating or licensing the practice – by essentially removing state control and deregulating sports wagering at casinos and race tracks.
“The briefs have already been written, so there’s no reason for the court to give the parties any more time to rewrite the briefs”, Lesniak said.
The lawmaker also took a swipe at one of the legal opponents of sports betting, the National Football League. And Judge Fuentes, the last time around, ruled against us. At that time, the court rejected the request without asking for a response from the leagues. “And this whole fantasy sports scheme is a distinction without a difference”.
In addition to its online gaming industry, sports betting is seen as a way to help struggling Atlantic City casinos.
“Anyone who wants to go to Atlantic City, book your rooms now, because they will all be booked soon when sports betting breathes life back into Atlantic City, for sure”, Lesniak said.
In August, another three-judge 3rd Circuit panel ruled against a revised version of New Jersey’s sports betting law. Only Nevada and Delaware are legally able to offer online sports betting and in Delaware it is only multigame parlay betting in which players must pick several games correctly to succeed in a win.
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In light of the recent debate about fantasy sports betting and the need to regulate it even after most of the major league organizations have come on board may be giving supporters of legal online sports betting in New Jersey hope. “All signs are pointing to the majority siding with New Jersey”.
