Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 15 May 2018

Lay your money down: Court says states can OK sports betting

By JESSICA GRESKO and of directors. The council
WAYNE PARRY said any government body
WASHINGTON (AP) — The or sports league that re-
Supreme Court cleared ceives a direct percentage
the way Monday for states or portion of sports betting
coast to coast to legalize revenue should dedicate
betting on sports, breaking some of it to treat gam-
a longtime ban and cre- bling problems. The law the
ating a potential financial justices struck down was
boon for states and the passed by Congress in 1992
gambling industry. The first and called the Professional
bets could be placed with- and Amateur Sports Pro-
in weeks. tection Act. Justice Samuel
Despite opposition from the Alito wrote for the court,
major sports leagues and "The legalization of sports
the Trump administration, gambling requires an im-
the high court struck down portant policy choice, but
a federal law that had the choice is not ours to
barred betting on football, make." The court's "job is to
basketball, baseball and interpret the law Congress
other sports in most states. has enacted and decide
States that want to take ad- whether it is consistent with
vantage of the ruling now the Constitution," he wrote.
will generally have to pass Signs for Monmouth Park are displayed in a bar at the racetrack in Oceanport, N.J., Monday, May "PASPA is not." Justices Ruth
legislation to allow sports 14, 2018. Bader Ginsburg, Stephen
books to open. Some, in- Associated Press Breyer and Sonia Soto-
cluding New Jersey, which mayor dissented. Ginsburg
brought the case to the Su- ing was announced. quickly expand beyond cious activity. wrote for the three that
preme Court, have a head Gambling on sports could certain bets currently of- Sports gambling propo- when a portion of a law vi-
start. quickly become widely fered at its casinos. Pennsyl- nents argued that the olates the Constitution, the
Sports leagues had ex- available, with one re- vania and New York have leagues already do that court "ordinarily engages
pressed concerns about search firm estimating that also made moves to begin work and that legal sports in a salvage rather than a
any expansion of sports 32 states would likely offer sports gambling. However, betting will make enforce- demolition operation," pre-
gambling. Their huge busi- sports betting within five other states that want to ment easier than it is now, serving what it can. She
nesses could be badly years. allow sports betting could when most bets in the U.S. said that instead of using
harmed if people thought The ruling "opens up the still see several Super Bowls are made illegally. They say a "scalpel to trim the stat-
the outcome of games floodgates" for sports gam- come and go before peo- state regulators are capa- ute" her colleagues used
could be altered by some- bling in any state that wants ple there can place a legal ble of monitoring suspicious "an axe." Breyer agreed
one who had wagered to have it, said Daniel Wal- bet close to home. bets, as is done in Nevada. with the majority that part
money on a certain result. lach, a sports law expert in The Trump administration On Monday, NBA com- of the law must be struck
However, the ruling also Florida. had urged the high court missioner Adam Silver and down but said that should
could be seen as merely The decision had been ea- to uphold the law, surpris- Major League Baseball is- not have doomed the rest
bringing an activity out of gerly anticipated by gam- ing perhaps because the sued statements saying the of the law. Congress could
the shadows that many blers and also states that president is the former "integrity" of their games try to step in again. Sen.
people already see as a hope their cut of legalized owner of a New Jersey ca- would remain a priority. Orrin Hatch said he would
mainstream hobby. Ameri- sports betting can help sino, the Trump Taj Mahal, Representatives of the Na- soon introduce legislation
cans wager about $150 solve budget problems. now being remade into a tional Hockey League, to set national standards
billion on sports each year States that have already Hard Rock casino resort. National Football League for sports betting, but It is
illegally, according to the laid the legal groundwork All four major U.S. profes- and NCAA said they were unclear whether the rest of
American Gaming Asso- include New Jersey, where sional sports leagues and reviewing the court's deci- Congress will want to join
ciation. The law the justices one racetrack said it would the NCAA also had urged sion. him. The ruling was a partic-
struck down forbade state- begin taking bets within two the court to uphold the Some saw other concerns, ular victory for New Jersey,
authorized sports gambling weeks. Mississippi and West federal law, saying a gam- including for some gam- which has fought for years
with some exceptions and Virginia have also been bling expansion would hurt blers. The ruling "will likely to legalize gambling on
made Nevada the only preparing for sports bet- the integrity of their games. increase gambling partici- sports at casinos and race-
state where a person could ting, and gamblers there They also said that with le- pation and gambling prob- tracks. Former Republican
wager on the results of a could be placing bets as gal sports betting in the lems unless steps are taken Gov. Chris Christie tweeted
single game. early as this summer and United States, they'd have to minimize harm," said Mar- that it was a "great day for
Stock prices for casino op- certainly before the NFL to spend a lot more money lene Warner, the president the rights of states and their
erators and equipment season starts in September. monitoring betting patterns of the National Council on people to make their own
makers surged after the rul- Delaware, too, could and investigating suspi- Problem Gambling's board decisions." q