U.S. federal court upholds PASPA

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling that New Jersey State’s sports betting law, signed in by Governor Chris Christie last year, conflicts with 1993 Federal Statute – the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) restricting State-sanctioned sports betting to Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana.

This court action is the latest in a series of legal attempts by New Jersey to overturn or amend PASPA which in turn triggered major US sports leagues, who want to maintain the restrictions to preserve dignity in sport, to initiate legal action.

A three-judge panel delivered the ruling with a 2-1 majority saying : “We are cognizant that certain questions related to this case — whether gambling on sporting events is harmful to the games’ integrity and whether states should be permitted to license and profit from the activity — engender strong views.  But we are not asked to judge the wisdom of PASPA or of New Jersey’s law, or of the desirability of the activities they seek to regulate. We speak only to the legality of these measures as a matter of constitutional law … New Jersey’s sports wagering law conflicts with PASPA and, under our Constitution, must yield.”

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