Edelstein: Might sports betting finally be coming to NJ?
It’s possible — not likely, but possible — you’ll be able to legally lay 28 points and bet against the Jets every week this upcoming NFL season. (And, yes, I think the Jets will be 28-point underdogs at some point. They might field the single worst team in NFL history. Tom Brady and the kids down the street would beat them 2314. Anyway ...) Anyway, a lot has been happening on the sports betting front in New Jersey. And if things break right — basically, if the United States Supreme Court chooses to A) listen to New Jersey’s case and B) rule in favor — then it would be a matter of weeks before the first legalized sports bets would be placed at racetracks in the state, according to WFAN talk show host (and New Jersey Governor) Chris Christie.
Quick recap: Over five years ago, New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill legalizing sports betting and Christie signed it. Only problem? According to the feds, betting on sports is illegal, thanks to a 1992 law that banned it outside of Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana, with Nevada being the only state offering traditional bets.
Since then? A lot of noise, not much action. Until now, it would seem. A lot is happening.
For starters, the casino industry just launched a nationwide campaign to legalize sports betting. A pair of New Jersey congressman, Frank Pallone Jr. and Frank LoBiondo, have introduced bills that would give states the right to legalize it.
And then separately, there’s the Supreme Court.
New Jersey’s sports betting case (from the original 2011 bill) was tossed out by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals last year, and just last month, the U.S. Solicitor General counseled the Supreme Court not to hear the case.
But in the end, it’s up to the Supreme Court of the United States (or as the kids these days refer to it, SCOTUS) to decide whether to hear the arguments.
It’s expected/hoped for SCOTUS will make its decision known by month’s end, and I’m expecting/hoping common sense rules the day and the court rules in favor of New Jersey and legalizes sports betting. (Fun fact: Ruth Bader Ginsburg grandfather was Moe “The Butcher” Ginsburg, noted gambler and mob hitman and OK fine I just made that up. But it sounds right, doesn’t it? Someone call Scorsese.)
And why do I say this is common sense? Because sports betting happens all the time. No one knows for sure how much is being wagered illegally in America each year, but some estimates — like the one from Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA — puts the number close to $400 billion. Which means $400 billion is going untaxed, unregulated, and who knows where.
Sports betting, to me, falls under the same umbrella as the other illegal “sins,” in that they should all be legalized, regulated, and taxed just like everything else. I’m talking prostitution, drugs, and gambling. People have always engaged in these activities, people are going to continue engaging in these activities, and as such, it only makes sense to legalize and regulate. (And yes, I’m even talking about heroin and such. Legalize it, give addicts prescriptions, track them, get them help. Seems a lot better system than what we’ve got now. We should take out the criminal element in all these “sins” and start acting like adults.) (And no, of course I don’t want my kids to be gamblers, addicts, or hookers, but if they were, I’d much rather have protections built in for them, protections that come when illegal activities are brought out from the criminal netherworld. I mean, when was the last time a Budweiser truck was hijacked?)
So will sports betting happen in New Jersey? Eventually, I’m sure. Will it happen in time for me to take the Bills in week one and give the points? Tick-tock.