New Jersey will get yet another day in court on sports betting November 20.
U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp has set the date for a hearing on the state’s sports betting law, one day before his temporary restraining order blocking a New Jersey racetrack from starting sports betting is set to expire.
The state has been trying to overturn—and later find a way around—a federal ban on sports betting in all but four states, but has continually been rebuffed by the courts.
New Jersey officials have pointed to an appeals court ruling during that fight that said nothing was stopping the state from simply repealing its anti-sports betting laws and allowing sports betting that is not state-regulated. New Jersey’s current sports betting law simply removes restrictions on the state’s casinos and racetracks to offer self-regulated sports betting.
But the professional sports leagues and the NCAA—who have opposed the state every step of the way—have again sued to stop sports betting in the Garden State saying it will hurt the integrity of their games and is a blatant attempt to circumvent the federal ban.
Monmouth Park racetrack—which has partnered with UK bookie William Hill—was ready to begin sports betting last month before Shipp—after a challenge by the leagues—issued his restraining order. The hearing is set to determine if the order should be extended.
In a preliminary hearing to set a full hearing date, the judge did acknowledge league arguments that the state is offering some regulation of sports betting in its new sports betting law. The law requires that bettors be over 21; that bets can only be placed at racetracks and casinos and bets cannot be placed on New Jersey college games or college games played in New Jersey.
New Jersey’s lawyers are arguing that they are acting as the appeals court decision allows.
Shipp ruled that the leagues have enough of a case for a full hearing. Both sides are expected to file arguments in the case this week.
Shipp also increased the amount of a bond the leagues and NCAA have to post from $1.7 million to $3.4 million. The bond would cover estimated losses by Monmouth Park because of the temporary restraining order if the state law is upheld.
Monmouth Park has hoped to begin limited betting on NFL games with a $100 maximum bet. The track has completed a $1 million renovation of its William Hill sports bar and some estimates say as much as $75 million a year in annual revenue could come to the track through sports betting.
Racing officials believe sports betting as a whole could be an $11 billion market and bring $600 million in revenue to the state due to its proximity to the New York and Philadelphia markets.
