Chris Christie Challenges Federal Law to Establish NJ Betting
NJ Gov. Says 'Let Them Try to Stop Us'
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is set to challenge a federal law that limits betting on sports to only four states, when he lets his constituents bet on the outcomes of athletic games this fall.
Although Christie said he did not attempt to change the 1992 federal law that limits sports betting, he did say that his administration is making regulations for New Jersey sports fans who want to place their bets on their favorite teams and athletes this fall. Still, the governor said he expected to be faced with federal opposition.
"Am I expecting there may be legal action taken against us to try to prevent it? Yes!" the governor said at a recent press conference. "But I have every confidence we're going to be successful."
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The federal law that currently limits betting to Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana is called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which was approved in 1991. Although New Jersey was reportedly in talks to become a fifth state that could bet on sporting events, the state was unable to meet the requirements to do so by the deadline given at the time.
Still, New Jersey has been working over the past two years to legalize betting on sporting events. Although Sen. Raymond Lesniak has made failed attempts to overturn the ban on betting, he was hopeful that the state would be allowed to engage in sports betting in the future.
"To those with a vested interest in the status quo -- the professional sports organizations who take a hypocritical stance that wagering will 'ruin the purity of the game,' and the Nevada-based gaming conglomerates that have enjoyed that state's stranglehold on sports wagering for the last 20 years -- I respectfully say, 'Bring it on,' " he said in an ESPN report. "The sooner you make an issue of New Jersey's noncompliance with an unconstitutional federal ban, the sooner we can defeat that ban in the courts, and put New Jersey on the same competitive footing as the rest of the nation when it comes to sports wagering."
If overturned, government officials in the state are hopeful that they will see a financial boost in its four racetracks and 12 casinos located in Atlantic City. Christie also said half of the money gained from the betting would support treatment for compulsive gamblers.
Although the governor recognized that some people would not be happy with his decision to implement sports betting in the state, Christie welcomed any federal agencies to attempt to stop his efforts.
"We intend to go forward," the governor said in the press conference. "If someone wants to stop us, then let them try to stop us. We want to work with the casinos and horse racing industry to get it implemented."
