Assembly Committee Shelves Sports Betting Bill

Rather suddenly, the California sports betting bill sailing through the legislature was shelved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  A quick article reporting the event is here.  The easy explanation was that California did what it intended and helped goad the opponents of expanded legal sports betting, the sports leagues and NCAA, to file suit to stop the lead state, New Jersey.  According to the California bill's sponsor, they were in consultation with New Jersey to form a "bi-coastal" effort.  Once the sports leagues and NCAA filed the lawsuit against New Jersey, California could stop the bill without having to incur the expense of defending a lawsuit, letting New Jersey bear that burden.  Of course California can support New Jersey by way of amicus briefs, a less costly legal support option.

Although some legal experts feel the federal PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) law, only letting a few states have sports betting will stand, other legal experts feel the PASPA will be found unconstitutional.  Those experts use the analogy of the government stating that only four states could have theaters that show movies with sound, while all others could only have silent movies.  Another example would be that only one or two states could grow apples, and all other states would be prohibited, being forced to buy apples from those limited sources. 

The arguments the sports leagues and NCAA are trying to make is that legal sports betting impacts the integrity of their games.  They don't seem to be able to explain how legal sports betting in states like Nevada don't impact integrity of their games.  Also, they seem to have been unable to articulate how illegal sports betting (which is most definitely occurring) that would be curtailed and be brought into the open if legalized, is somehow superior in their minds to legal sports betting.  Finally, experts note how states have always had the authority to set the parameters regarding gambling within their states.  The Washington Times has an article that discusses New Jersey's approach. 

It will be several months before this issue is settled, but it is fair to assume that the losing party will keep the issue alive on appeal and escalate to as high a court as possible.  Would this case eventually make it to the Supreme Court?  Perhaps.