New Jersey sports betting won’t harm professional sports and the leagues can’t prove otherwise. That’s the case being made by lawyers representing the state in their audacious bid to legalize sports wagering.
In recently filed lawsuit, the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA and NHL claim that legal sports betting in NJ would harm their businesses.
High powered attorneys hired by the state responded with a sharply worded brief asking that the case be thrown out entirely. They believe that not only would legal sports betting not hurt the leagues, but the leagues are already well aware of that fact. Here’s what they said:
In light of the nearly half-trillion-dollar preexisting market in sports gambling, the leagues’ allegation that they will suffer some additional reputational injury from a relatively minuscule increase in legal, tightly regulated sports gambling in New Jersey is simply not credible.
Not only does sports betting not harm the leagues, but Jersey lawyers say it’s not the NFL’s job to sue states in the first place. (Though there is a provision for that in the NFL/NCAA-authored PASPA bill the State is fighting.)
Finally
It’s a bit amusing to see high powered attorneys using the same, “People are already betting,” argument that fans have been making for years. It will also be very interesting to see that discussion argued by Supreme Court grade lawyers.
Are NJ lawyers making a good case? Share your thought in the comments section below.