New Jersey game on, again (update)

A new proposal in New Jersey’s fight to legalize sports betting was submitted to the legislature Thursday on the back of a discouraging recommendation from the Acting US Solicitor General on overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) which the State hopes the Federal Supreme Court will select to hear on appeal (see previous report).

The discussion draft of the Gaming Accountability and Modernization Enhancement Act or GAME Act, spearheaded by Energy and Commerce Committee Member, Frank Pallone, Jr., is a comprehensive bill that removes Federal barriers to legalised online betting and gambling by States who implement basic consumer protections which include age and location verification, privacy and data security and consumer recourse mechanisms.

“Despite the federal gaming laws in place today, Americans are betting up to $400 billion a year on sporting events alone,” Pallone said. “It’s time to recognize that the laws are outdated, and the GAME Act will modernize them by increasing transparency, integrity, and consumer protections.”

The bill proposes enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission or state attorneys general.

The Public Health Service Act would be amended to give the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to establish and implement programmes for prevention and treatment of gambling addiction and section 8 of the bill repeals PASPA.

The full text of the draft can be read here: https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/gaming_02_xml.pdf