Last Friday, the jud
ge who was in charge of dealing with the complicated issue, concerning the sports betting legislation, made a final decision. According to it, the state state of New Jersey will not be allowed to abolish the prohibition with the aim of helping the horse racing sector and the struggling casino venues on the territory of the Garden state.
As a matter of fact, the decision of Judge Michael Shipp was not too surprising bearing in mind the fact that he has made similar decisions before.
The state has been involved in legal proceedings because four of the professional sports leagues as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association disapproved of regulators’ intentions.
Stephen M. Sweeney, the State Senate’s president, said that they will not miss any opportunity for achieving their goal. He considered the sports betting activities to be far too essential and moving on without taking any actions would be absolutely intolerable.
New Jersey is among the states that have been trying to make the sports betting activities legal for more than a year. However, the intention of state authorities is not to legalize them but just to abolish the law that puts a restriction on participating in this kind of sports activities.
However, Judge Michael Shipp said that the demand of authorities for making sports wagering available at certain venues is pretty much equal to legalizing them.
The Judge was willing to accept the main argument of the Sports Leagues’ representatives but he considered some other to inconsistent to serve as solid proof that could be taken into account.
New Jersey has been making attempts to ensure the well being of the horse industry and the local gambling sector. Residents have given their “yes” vote but unfortunately the court refused to legalize them. What is more, the court hearing was postponed and it does not seem like it will take place soon.
Meanwhile, the gambling sector continued to experience various setbacks, which made the Governor apply another technique for preserving the industry from further deterioration. He proposed lifting the ban but met fierce opposition as initially expected. Those, who were against the proposal, suggested an alternative though. They said that the ban can be lifted but some restrictions should apply. The sports betting activities should be available in particular areas only. Plus, some actions, taken towards preserving the kids from the negative impact of the gambling activities, have to be taken.
Although the majority of politicians and key figures in the legislation process have been trying not to take sides, Adam Silver, a commissioner of the National Basketball Association, stated that he supports the sports betting legislation although things should be slightly different from what New Jersey’s regulators require.
