Christie rejects NBA call on sports betting

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has quickly responded to NBA chief Adam Silver’s call for collaboration on changing US sports betting legislation (see previous report), observing during a television interview that the suggestion is a “bait and switch” tactic, and suggesting that it was “crazy” for the NBA chief to suggest a joint legalisation initiative in Congress when the NBA is an active participant in combined sports league litigation seeking to halt New Jersey’s drive for expanded sports betting.

”I think it’s kind of crazy for the commissioner of the NBA to say, on one hand, ‘Join me governor, let’s have legalized sports gaming everywhere. But not in New Jersey right now,”’ Christie said. ”What I call it, quite frankly, is a bait and switch.”

Christie added: ”If Adam Silver believes that sports gaming is OK then allow sports gaming in New Jersey; allow us to be the model.”