Lesniak PASPA complaint thrown out
New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak has complaint on"unconstitutional" sports betting ban thrown out by federal judge.
A complaint against a ban on sports betting in New Jersey, brought by Senator Raymond Lesniak and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, has been thrown out by a federal judge.
Lesniak and Sweeney filed the complaint on the basis that the ban, which came in under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1991, was unconstitutional.
They had hoped that the challenge “ initially filed in 2009 “ would allow the Garden State to reintroduce sports betting measures capable of generating upwards of US$56m (£34.6m) a year. However, US District Judge Garrett Brown ruled that the pair are not legally permitted to bring such a lawsuit against the federal government, as they could not provide the necessary proof that the state had suffered as a result of the ban.
Brown added that the lawsuit “puts the cart before the horse,” given that New Jersey is itself yet to legalise sports betting.
While disappointed with Brown’s ruling, Lesniak remained positive, believing that the latest setback “merely delays the inevitable”.
Chris Christie vetoed Lesniak’s online gambling bill last week, while the Governor has also been reluctant to get involved in the Senator’s complaints about PASPA. Last July he explained that he felt the state’s finances would be better utilised elsewhere.
The Senator is confident that “ if November’s referendum shows New Jersey residents support the legalisation of sports betting in the state “ the resultant “constitutional crisis” would force the hand of the federal courts and demand a ruling based on the constitutional merits of his complaint alone.