New Jersey spends US$8.7 million against PASPA
The legal battle against the federal ban on sports betting has cost New Jersey around US$8.7 million, state records show.
US.- The US continues to wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case that could revoke the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 and allow sports betting nationwide. However, the legal battle has cost New Jersey US$8.7 million, records from the state Division of Law, the Senate Majority Office and the Sports & Exposition Authority show.
Despite the seemingly high amount, said money looks like pocket change when compared with the more than US$173 million the state is expected to generate in tax revenue. In addition, sports betting legalisation would create more than 3,600 jobs in New Jersey, according to a report by Oxford Economics.
The state has been billed just over US$7 million between 2012 and 2017 by law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. Said money came from fees collected from casinos and horse racetracks and was paid by the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the Racing Commission. The rest was paid to firm Gibbons P.C., which also billed the state for its legal representation.
It is still unclear which approach state lawmakers will take regarding the segment’s regulation. However, several legislators have already stated that New Jersey will not provide integrity fee payments to major sports leagues in any bill, something that may bring more controversy in the near future.
