As previously discussed, New Jersey has sought to allow for legalized betting on sporting events, which drew the ire of the four major sports leagues and the NCAA and ultimately resulted in litigation.  New Jersey argued that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (“PASPA”) is unconstitutional.  PASPA is a law that prohibits legal sports gambling in every state other than Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana.  U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp upheld PASPA and stated “judicial intervention is generally unwarranted no matter how unwise a court considers a policy decision of the legislative branch.  As such, to the extent the people of New Jersey disagree with PASPA, their remedy is not through passage of a state law or through the judiciary, but through the repeal or amendment of PASPA in Congress.”  New Jersey has announced that it will appeal the decision of the United States District Court.  The NCAA has announced that it will no longer ban NCAA championship events in New Jersey.

For any questions, feel free to contact Christian Dennie at cdennie@bgsfirm.com.