Video Summary

New Jersey's bid to make sports betting legal faced a major challenge when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and other professional sports leagues sued the state, arguing that it went against the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). PASPA, passed in 1992, banned sports betting except for a few specific exemptions. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie pushed through the Sports Wagering Act of 2012, which allowed sports betting at casinos and racetracks, but the state was ultimately blocked by a federal court ruling. The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in 2017. In a 7-2 decision, the Court ruled in favor of New Jersey, determining that PASPA was unconstitutional as it effectively commandeered the state's regulatory power. The decision was a major victory for states' rights and the 10th Amendment, and has since paved the way for other states to legalize sports betting. The court's decision has also been cited in other cases related to state-by-state legalization of marijuana and other issues.