New Jersey sports betting opponents delay Supreme Court application

Hopes that an early Supreme Court hearing on New Jersey’s appeal regarding its failed attempt to overthrow the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) faded this week as the news emerged that the major sports leagues and the US Department of Justice had been dilatory in submitting their case, and had been given an extension to May 14, 2014.

New Jersey’s bid to legalise intrastate sports betting in defiance of PASPA, which restricts sports betting to just four US states, has so far been unsuccessful following litigation brought by the sports leagues and the DoJ .

The issue is being closely followed by other states, with Wyoming, Wisconsin and West Virginia in particular strongly supporting New Jersey.

Opposing the appeal are the Department of Justice and the national sports leagues, which missed the April 21 deadline for submissions that was originally imposed during the previous judicial processes, requiring the court to extend the time limit to May 14.

Once the opposition briefs have been filed, New Jersey has a ten-day window for any further submissions it may wish to make before the Supreme Court decides whether it will hear argument on the issue at all.

Current estimates are that New Jersey will not know until September whether it’s case will be placed on the busy Supreme Court schedule.