It didn’t take long for states to reap the benefits of PASPA being overturned. With May 14 being the PASPA nullification anniversary, the current sports betting landscape looks much different than it did six years ago.
Most states are offering some form of legalized sports betting, something that didn’t seem possible not that long ago. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was one item the government used to stop sports betting.
There were others, such as the Wire Act of 1964 and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. However, PASPA was seen as the key by sports betting advocates.
Its passage in 1992 was against the wishes of the Department of Justice, but the Senate passed it overwhelmingly. The Department of Justice thought PASPA was the federal government overstepping its bounds.
PASPA was essentially a federal ban on sports betting. It made it illegal to wager on “one or more competitive games in which amateur or professional athletes participate.”
Four states that offered sports betting, Montana, Delaware, Oregon, and Nevada, were allowed to continue the betting games they had offered. Other states were given one year to start sports betting if they wanted to be allowed to continue sports betting after the year was up.
New Jersey was one state that wanted to allow sports betting. The state legislature couldn’t get its act together and the year passed. That didn’t stop New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
After one failed attempt to bring sports betting to the state, he tried again in 2014. Again, the state lost in district court and the appeals court. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, didn’t like what it saw and agreed to hear the case.
U.S. Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court agreed with New Jersey the federal government was forcing a state to do something, in this case, not allow sports betting when the federal government has no right to do so. PASPA was overturned.
Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. Supreme Court did not legalize sports betting. It simply allowed the states to decide for themselves whether to offer it or not. As we approach PASPA’s nullification anniversary, roughly three-quarters of the states in the country have chosen to allow sports betting.
New Jersey was one of the first states to get into the act. There was a huge influx of people wanting to wager on sports. All skill levels joined the fray, from experienced bettors to those who needed betting odds explained to them.
More and more states have legalized sports betting. Others are trying to, but have run into legislative gridlocks.
The current legal betting scene isn’t perfect. There is still some work that needs to be done. Many of the sharp bettors have seen their expert picks wagering amounts limited.
There are also definite advantages to an open marketplace. Competition among sportsbooks helps ensure odds are fair, but there are still a few sportsbooks that give bettors poor lines to choose from.
Competition also allows bettors to choose from several bonuses, but few bettors take the time to shop for the best odds. That’s one big edge most players don’t take advantage of.
The PASPA nullification anniversary is a big day for sports bettors, although it’s one that usually flies under the radar. For sports bettors, however, it ranks up there with the repeal of Prohibition and other important dates.
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