Reaction From Today’s Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Christie v. NCAA



While we cannot predict the votes of Justices, below are key themes from today’s U.S. Supreme Court hearing:

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on New Jersey's challenge (Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association) to the constitutionality of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). This law largely bans sports wagering outside Nevada, prevents the industry from providing consumer protections and jeopardizes the integrity of the games being bet on.

While we cannot predict the votes of Justices, below are key themes from today's U.S. Supreme Court hearing:

States' rights – States and tribal sovereign nations have proven to be effective regulators of gaming. Justices expressed deep interest in the role of the federal government throughout the arguments;

Congress' original intent – PASPA has created a thriving illegal market that has driven trillions of dollars to offshore websites and corner bookies and must be fixed. Some on The Court questioned whether or not PASPA's authors intended to create a system that would theoretically allow for fully unregulated sports betting; and

Advantage: New Jersey – While it is difficult to predict the outcome of the court, momentum seemed to be in New Jersey's favor, with several justices seeming sympathetic to the Garden State's arguments.
The hearing brings the future of legal and regulated sports betting in the U.S. one step closer to resolution. It is anticipated the court will issue a decision spring 2018. And the AGA, in partnership with our members, is prepared to act swiftly.

There has never been greater momentum for legalized, regulated sports betting in the United States and the AGA looks forward to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the coming months.

While the Supreme Court deliberates, AGA will continue our education efforts on Capitol Hill to ensure that our industry is well positioned should the Court's ruling not address all of our concerns.

This article is a reprint from CDCGamingReports.com.  To view the original story and comment, click here. 


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