New Jersey awaits sports betting decision

In an hour-long hearing Tuesday that was well-attended by interested parties, lawyers for New Jersey and the major US sports leagues argued for and against the Garden State offering sports betting, effectively defying the discriminatory and federal PASPA.

New Jersey has already passed the necessary legislation for intrastate sports betting, a move that triggered litigation from the leagues and a series of arguments that include whether the sports leagues have legal standing to contest the New Jersey decision .

Weighing the arguments, U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp said at the conclusion of the hearing that he will issue a ruling by Friday as to whether the leagues have standing to continue the lawsuit.

New Jersey’s Legislature enacted a sports betting law in January this year, limiting bets to Atlantic City casinos and the state’s horse racing tracks.

Legal arguments have included the fact that the leagues have for decades prospered from legalised sports betting in four states, primarily Nevada, and indirectly from illegal online sports wagering. The leagues have also actively aligned themselves with fantasy sports betting.

The leagues argue that sports betting threatens the integrity of sports.