DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Supreme Court strikes down law banning sports betting

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BY LYDIA WHEELER - 05/14/18 10:06 AM EDT

The Supreme Court has struck down a federal law that banned sports betting in almost every state across the country, handing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) a major win to bolster his legacy.

New Jersey has been fighting since 2010 to make sports wagering legal at racetracks and casinos in the state, but had repeatedly been blocked by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.

The Court ruled 7-2 that PASPA’s provisions prohibiting states from authorizing and licensing a sports gabling scheme violates the anti-commandeering rule.

In delivering the opinion of the court, Justice Samuel Alito said legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not the court’s to make.

“Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act on its own. Our job is to interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution. PASPA is not,” he said.

“PASPA 'regulates state governments’ regulation' of their citizens. The Constitution gives Congress no such power.”

This won't change anything for me, since I don't gamble on sports, but I would think a lot of states just found a new revenue stream, right?

Maybe in a year or so. Not many States have laws that allow sports gambling. Laws allowing it will have to be on the books first and most states are in recess during the campaigning season.

Today is a great day.

Right, I would think only New Jersey could pounce on this today (or the coming weeks/months). Every other state has to get the gears moving if they want to add this freedom.

I'm sure the bookies around the country aren't too happy right now. They might have to go legitimate.

Here's a legislative bill tracker for all 50 states.

http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/19740480/gambling-sports-betting-bill-tracker-all-50-states

How did Nevada get around that law for so long?

Not only do I agree with this decision, I love the logic behind it. This is not the SC's decision to make... you make laws, we'll tell you if we find them constitutional or not.. that's what the SC is supposed to do.

The Constitution gives congress no such power.. that's awesome.

$$$$$$$$ in Harry Reid's pockets.

I wonder how long it is before the NFL and NFLPA start going after this money. One of them already has alluded to it, greedy SOBs

Under what pretense do they deserve any of this money? They are paid to do a job. If other people are willing to wager their own money on how well they do that job, why should they get a cut?

I agree with you, let me try to find the article on it.

This wasn't it, but it might explain why they were looking at trying to get some $. Royalties from use of names and intellectual property are another likely reason.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/12/nfl-mlb-nba-nhl-players-unions-join-legal-sports-gambling.html

I know Adam Silver of the NBA has been pushing for an alliance with his league and legalized sports betting for some time. The NBA can stand to clear a ton of cash with logo's, player's likeness, betting sites, etc.

They will be involved going forward.

did Vegas release odds of this law being overturned

While I find the use of the term "integrity fee" a bit humorous... I guess I can see that a little since the betting sites are going to want to use likenesses for marketing, etc.. and they do bring up a good point.... the leagues themselves will be opened up to a much greater risk of scandal...

All true, though the cynic in me says they want to profit from this more than anything

Wouldn't surprise me if they want a little something off the top... they are a business, nobody likes other business profiting off of your work when you aren't getting a cut.. I get that.

This is the only thing the leagues care about. This is going to open up a bunch of new revenue for everyone.

I hope tax revenues from sports betting go towards schools so they can stop trying to pass a property tax increase every year or two. Although, IIRC, that's what they said about the Ohio Lottery, and my property taxes have quadrupled since that started. You know, just because its for the children doesn't necessarily mean I can afford it.

That's the thing.

In Ohio, anyway, the lottery was supposed to fund schools forever.

It seems each year, however, locally, we have a 'need' for an increase in school taxes. And the whole "if we don't get the increase, we'll stop bussing, and we'll end extra curricular events, ' etc.

And, each year, schools hire more and more advisors and overseers, and assistant this and assistant that.

Curriculum directors have become "curriculum assistants to the curricullem director, and we need not 1 director, but 3. 1 for high school, 1 for middle school, and 1 for elementary school. Plus, we need assistants for all of them.

And the whole "well, we owe it to the kids", meanwhile, some are being taxed out of homes. Property taxes still go up. New student 'fees', sports 'fees', etc. Want your student in advanced "X" class? Extra fee.


Then, on a different level, we have to increase taxes for fire protection, and EMS services. And of course, you know how that goes, right? "If we don't get the money we 'want', we'll be unable to save your home or your life."

It's like gov't. employees don't get it. And yes, some school districts have gone 2, 3, 4 years without raises. I know.

It's just, like always with gov't., they need more money. Every year.

You can bet on that!

tax dollars at werk.

I wish government in general, and public schools in particular lived in the same world that taxpayers do - the real world, where if times are hard, you make do with less. Apparently, the term "belt-tightening" isn't in their vocabularies, just ours.

Excellent news! Although, there are already a number of ways to gamble on sports.

Teams and leagues will make a fortune getting paid royalties.

Like Mark Cuban said, this could double the value the of sports franchises.

I wonder if teams will consider putting a sports book inside the stadium? That could be fun and another way to get people in the stadium. NFL, NBA and MLB stadiums already have Club level seating with numerous tv's showing all the games. Now add a betting window.

We could have all kinds of bets .....

When does Haslam fire Dorsey?

When does he fire Hue?

When does he fire Berry?

When does Haslam fire the groundskeeper?

When does he fire the janitors?

J/K


(kinda)

You can make this bet now! Current odds have Hue Jackson as the favorite to be the first coach fired during the 2018 NFL season at +366.

The owners will end up getting a piece of all bets made. Additionally, they'll probably own pieces of the companies that take the bets. For example, the in-stadium betting that people will be doing during the game, I'm sure the owners will be partners in some way of that software and transaction.

Of course, this could look bad in the future, if we see on the jumbotron the team pushing everyone in the stadium to make their next bet on the upcoming series. That could get freaky. It will become a casino-like atmosphere with "Browns Players Club" cards and points for in-game bets and football slots near the concessions. Could get very weird.

Also, Mark Cuban suggested this could also double the value of all professional sports teams. I think he could be right.

If the NFL buys in somewhere or starts it's own betting hub, which they won't, but in general, they won't get a cut because people are betting on their teams.

I don't think this will be a problem for professional sports. In fact, I think it will help garner more interest in those sports.

However, I can envision some issues in college football and basketball where players are not being paid.

I agree. Matt Ryan just signed a 100 mil deal. I doubt he is going to risk that and jail time to throw a few picks.


If it enters the NFL and other pro sports, it will be through the officials. I think that is what the pro sports fear. The officials are the ones who would consider 50K worth making bad calls, or no calls.

College, well, there have already been scandals with betting so that is, was, and could be a problem.

Well, organized crime can be a convincing lot.

Isn't this already a problem?

I would think most of the people that would be betting legally are already betting illegally. Now, it's possible some will get turned on to betting now that it's at their fingertips, but again, these would be people that would probably bet illegally too. I've been offered betting slips throughout my life more than people have offered me pot. It's everywhere.

Additionally, every league, team president (or AD) and coaching staff member will be preaching about not falling into that trap, sports gambling in general. And they'll certainly be pushing hard against betting on their own team, win or lose.

It's not the Matt Ryans of the world you worry about, it's the punt returner or the 3rd string QB that holds for FGs that are on a one-year deal for league minimum and know they might not even be around next year.....

That said, I do agree with you that the more likely entry point for scandal is the officials...

And if nothing else, for college, this may force the NCAA's hand to implement different rules for athletes, who knows.

I also worry about prop bets.. think those could be much easier to influence... overall I don't think it affects the integrity of the games much