New Jersey politician Frank Pallone urged the U.S. Solicitor General a few days ago to support the Garden State in its endeavor to legalize sports betting within its borders.
In a 14-page letter to Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall, Rep. Frank Pallone laid out the state’s case that the New Jersey sports betting bill challenges Congresses’ power to force the state to not offer the service under the anti-commandeering doctrine in the Tenth Amendment.
This follows the U.S. Supreme Court asking for advice from the Solicitor General’s office regarding whether or not 130 cases, which includes the New Jersey case, warranted review by the nation’s highest court.
Pallone wrote that this case is about whether the Third Circuit accorded sufficient room to the State of New Jersey to effectuate the will of its citizens under New Jersey’s state Constitution, laws and sovereign powers under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He also wrote that without the Supreme Court’s review and a decision on this appeal, these areas of disagreement and conflict will inevitable grow and lead to more confusion as the question of how a state authorizes sports gambling by law or compact without violating PASPA remains extremely hazy.
Traditional and internet sports betting is widespread, despite being illegal in most states and functions almost entirely through organized crime. Ninety-nine percent of the almost $400 billion that is spent annually in the U.S. on sports betting, is illegal.
The U.S. Supreme Court is due to decide if it will take the New Jersey sports betting case by the end of next month.