New Jersey hits back at leagues as first sportsbook launch nears
State responds to challenge from college and professional sports leagues with court filing as William Hill watches on
New Jersey has responded to a challenge mounted by sports leagues regarding its decision to allow the state’s casinos and racetracks to operate sportsbooks, with Monmouth Park and its partner William Hill US primed to launch this weekend.
The state filed its response after the National Collegiate Athletic Association and major sporting leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, sought a temporary injunction to block plans to allow sports betting after Governor Christie signed a bill into law last Friday.
In its filing, New Jersey reiterated its belief that a federal appeals court ruling last year allows the state to repeal prohibitions on sports betting and permit its casinos and racetracks to operate a sportsbook, so long as it is not regulated by the state, reports the Associated Press.
Monmouth Park, which has partnered with William Hill US, said it would launch its sportsbook by Sunday, however the UK-based operator has since revealed it is going to “wait and see” how the temporary injunction pans out before taking any bets.
“The sporting bodies are going for a temporary injunction, so we will have to wait to see how that pans out before deciding if we are going to take any bets,” William Hill CEO James Henderson, said.
“But obviously we are watching the situation very closely,” he added.
The legislation signed into law by Governor Christie repeals part of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that bans casinos and racetracks in all bar four US states from offering sports betting.
Under the bill, the state’s racetracks and casinos can offer wagers on sporting events, so long as they are not on a college sport or athletic events that take place in New Jersey, or in which any New Jersey college team participates, regardless of where the event takes place.
Federal law still bans any state from legalising sports betting, but New Jersey said it was not regulating, licensing or otherwise authorising sports betting, but simply allowing the racetracks to launch a sportsbook without fear of prosecution.
New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak also said that the legislation allows the casinos and racetracks to offer mobile sports betting, so long as wagers are placed in the grounds of the racetrack or on-property at the casino.
The Bill was signed into law despite a federal judge banning New Jersey from implementing its Sports Wagering Act which was signed into law by Governor Christie back in March 2012.
The judge said the Act violated PASPA, which bans sports betting in all states bar Nevada, Oregon, Delaware and Montana. A federal appeals court agreed, but conceded that nothing prevented the state from repealing its own ban.
New Jersey appealed to the Supreme Court in a bid to overturn the lower court’s decision, with Senator Lesniak drafting his own bill – SB 2250 – to allow sports betting based on the revised interpretation of PASPA after the Supreme Court chose not take the case.
Christie vetoed Lesniak’s Bill after raising concerns over how it sat with other federal law, but the Governor said SB 2460 “remedied” the issues he raised in his veto.