High court betting case pits states against sports leagues
Posted December 02, 2017 6:00 am
OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) - The Supreme Court is taking up a case that could make wagering on sports widely available nationwide.
The high court is weighing whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal.
Monday's case pits New Jersey and other states against all four major U.S. professional sports leagues and the federal government. The stakes are high.
The American Gaming Association estimates that Americans illegally wager $150 billion on sports each year. In court, the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball have fought New Jersey, arguing that expanding gambling would hurt the integrity of their games. More than a dozen states are supporting New Jersey.
In this Nov. 30, 2017, photo, a Quick Draw lotto sheet is seen on the bar at the William Hill Sports Bar inside Monmouth Park racetrack in West Long Branch, N.J. With banks of TVs tuned to all-sports stations and a spacious bar, the lounge a the racetrack is a sports gamblersâ paradise-in-waiting. All thatâs standing in its way: A 25-year-old federal law that bars betting on sports in most states. The high court is weighing On Dec. 4, whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, giving sports betting the go-ahead, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Associated Press
In this Nov. 30, 2017, photo, Vito Paolantonio, of Eatontown, N.J., talks to The Associated Press about his opinions regarding sports betting in New Jersey during a visit to the William Hill Sports Bar located inside the Monmouth Park racetrack in West Long Branch, N.J. With banks of TVs tuned to all-sports stations and a spacious bar, the lounge a the racetrack is a sports gamblersâ paradise-in-waiting. All thatâs standing in its way: A 25-year-old federal law that bars betting on sports in most states. The high court is weighing On Dec. 4, whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, giving sports betting the go-ahead, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Associated Press
In this Nov. 30, 2017, photo, betting slips are seen on a table at the Monmouth Park racetrack in West Long Branch, N.J. With banks of TVs tuned to all-sports stations and a spacious bar, the lounge a the racetrack is a sports gamblersâ paradise-in-waiting. All thatâs standing in its way: A 25-year-old federal law that bars betting on sports in most states. The high court is weighing On Dec. 4, whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, giving sports betting the go-ahead, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal. . (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Associated Press
In this Nov. 30, 2017, photo, a man reads the Daily Racing Program between simulcasted races shown on television monitors at the Monmouth Park racetrack in West Long Branch, N.J. With banks of TVs tuned to all-sports stations and a spacious bar, the lounge a the racetrack is a sports gamblersâ paradise-in-waiting. All thatâs standing in its way: A 25-year-old federal law that bars betting on sports in most states. The high court is weighing On Dec. 4, whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, giving sports betting the go-ahead, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Associated Press
In this Nov. 30, 2017, photo, a man watches simulcast horse races at the Monmouth Park racetrack in West Long Branch, N.J. With banks of TVs tuned to all-sports stations and a spacious bar, the lounge a the racetrack is a sports gamblersâ paradise-in-waiting. All thatâs standing in its way: A 25-year-old federal law that bars betting on sports in most states. The high court is weighing On Dec. 4, whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, giving sports betting the go-ahead, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Associated Press
In this Nov. 30, 2017, photo, a man sits at a cubicle watching a simulcast horse race at the Monmouth Park racetrack in West Long Branch, N.J. With banks of TVs tuned to all-sports stations and a spacious bar, the lounge a the racetrack is a sports gamblersâ paradise-in-waiting. All thatâs standing in its way: A 25-year-old federal law that bars betting on sports in most states. The high court is weighing On Dec. 4, whether a federal law that prevents states from authorizing sports betting is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down the law, giving sports betting the go-ahead, dozens of states could quickly make sports betting legal. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The Associated Press
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