It's a good day for sports fans who enjoy betting (but maybe a bad day for Vegas). The Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that banned commercial sports betting in most states. States can now decide how they will govern sports-related gambling.
The ban, called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, was created to help maintain the integrity of sports, but the Supreme Court found the law to be violating state's rights.
The first states where legalized sports gambling is expected to take place are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, West Virginia and Mississippi. New Jersey had long anticipated this judgement, and repealed its laws against sports betting while creating a proposed bill that is already in place.
Speaking with the New York Times, the director of the sports law program at Tulane Law School Gabriel Feldman described it as, “The gamblization of sports. Fans will become much more focused on gambling than following a team. It will make every second of every game of every week interesting to fans as it will give everyone something to root for.” Offshore gambling, using bookies, and taking trips to Vegas will all become somewhat irrelevant once more states begin to legalize sports betting.
Source: charlotteobserver.com
