The NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB, along with the NCAA, filed a motion yesterday in New Jersey District Court to stop the "newly-signed law that would allow sports betting" in the state, according to Braden Campbell of the PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY. The leagues are "calling for the court to strike down the law, arguing it violates a federal ban on sports betting outside a handful of states and would cause them irreparable harm." New Jersey state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, who sponsored the original legislation, said that there "will be a hearing" today at 3:30pm ET for the judge to consider the filing. Lesniak said that the leagues "will be hard-pressed to prove betting in the state's gambling halls and racetracks could cause them irreparable damage" (PRESSOFATLANTICCITY.com, 10/20). In New Jersey, John Brennan notes the leagues and NCAA asked the judge "for a temporary restraining order that would prevent" Monmouth Park racetrack from "offering betting on NFL games this weekend." The request to U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp for an injunction "featured sentiments that were nearly identical to a 2012 brief filed by the leagues" after Gov. Chris Christie "signed an earlier version of the sports-betting law." Shipp "issued an injunction in that case and later upheld the federal ban on sports betting" (Bergen RECORD, 10/21). In N.Y., Liz Robbins notes New Jersey's first sports book "is to have a soft opening on Sunday at Monmouth Park racetrack, whose operators plan to have 10 tellers taking bets" only on the NFL, and all by hand. The racetrack and state leaders "envision a frenzied scene on football Sundays, with thousands of people lining up to wager money on NFL games" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/21).
POTENTIAL BIG DEAL FOR THE STATE: ESPN's David Purdum said if the law stands up to the legal efforts by the leagues to stop it, it will "be really big for the East Coast." New Jersey is "such a bigger, larger market population-wise than Las Vegas and Nevada," and there are other states "who have already contacted New Jersey ... about following the same path New Jersey has to try to revive their gaming communities." He added it is "really hard to figure out exactly why" the leagues are fighting the bill, as it is "very difficult to think the leagues are being completely sincere when they talk about sports betting." The Newark Star-Ledger's Paul Mulshine said, "They would make a deal if they thought they're going to lose, because why not just make that deal upfront. They're not getting proceeds from Las Vegas, but they could get proceeds from New Jersey" ("Outside The Lines," ESPN2, 10/20).
