A New Jersey judge rejected a law that would have made sports gambling legal in the state.

Judge rejects sports gambling bill in New Jersey

May 8, 2013 11:44 am Published by Leave your thoughts

In a legal stare-down between New Jersey governor Chris Christie and lawsuits from some of the country's biggest sports leagues, a federal judge sided with the latter last Friday, shutting down a bill that Christie signed into law last year which would've brought legalized gambling to the state.

The legal debate centered around the U.S. Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which bans gambling on professional and collegiate sports. When Christie signed the sports-betting bill, he and the state's lawyers argued that Sports Protection Act restricted the state's rights as a governing body and claimed it was unconstitutional. In response, the NFL, NCAA, MLB, NHL and NBA all filed suit in support of the Protection Act and stating that such legislation would hamstring the sports leagues' ability to do business in the state.

In his decision, U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp dealt a major blow to New Jersey's effort to revitalize the state's struggling casino industry.

"After careful consideration, the Court has determined that Congress acted within its powers and the statute in question does not violate the United States Constitution," Shipp said in the ruling.

This will likely not be the last legal step Christie and other state representatives take in their efforts to bring sports gambling to the state, as it is likely they will appeal the ruling. In the meantime, the state has already initiated other measures to incorporate certain types of sports gambling, with the governor signing a bill this week that made New Jersey the third state to legalize online gambling.

"We believe firmly in the principles of our position on sports betting and that the federal ban is inequitable, violates New Jersey's rights as a state and is unconstitutional," said Michael Drewniak, a spokesperson for the governor.

Local companies looking to ensure that they're operating within the latest legal parameters should seek out business law attorneys in Phoenix to get the proper legal advise.

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