Blotter: New Jersey governor looks to add sports betting to racetracks

Governor John Corzine has joined with the group that represents New Jersey’s state horse racing industry in a federal lawsuit that is attempting to overturn a law that keeps most states from offering sports wagers.

While the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 prohibits New Jersey and many other states from offering sports betting, four other states (Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware) are not. Corzine stated his reason for joining the suit as the fact that racetracks in neighboring Delaware will soon offer sports betting and table games. This new avenue for players in the region could cause serious damage to the already-withering Atlantic City casino industry.

“Delaware’s entry into sports wagering and table games is a serious threat to both the casino and horse racing industries in New Jersey,” Corzine said. “We must do everything in our power to stay competitive. We simply cannot afford to sit back and let neighboring states press an unfair advantage against us anytime, and certainly not in the midst of this global economic crisis.”

The suit maintains that the federal law is invalid since it inhibits interstate commerce and violates equal protection clauses guaranteed by the US Constitution since it offers some states rights and denies them to others.

Corzine also said, “The federal government’s prohibition on sports betting for some but not all states is fundamentally unfair. There should be uniformity in the application of federal law. If one state is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity.”

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