New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation on Friday that overhauls the state’s sports betting laws and allows casinos and racetracks to put NFL games on their books as early as later this month (via ESPN).
Christie, who is considered a 2016 presidential candidate, had this to say.
As I’ve said all along, I am a strong proponent of legalized sports wagering in New Jersey,” Christie said in a statement. “But given earlier decisions by federal courts, it was critical that we follow a correct and appropriate path to curtail new court challenges and expensive litigation. I believe we have found that path in this bipartisan legislative effort.
As ESPN points out, the NFL has been against this legislation and could potentially file for an injunction to prevent the state from allowing league games to be put on the state’s sportsbooks.
The league previously attempted to block the state of Delaware from betting on games back in 1976, at which point U.S. District Judge Walter K. Stapleton ruled against the NFL.
It will be interesting to see how this moves forward and what impact it might have on other states that are also considering overhauling their sports betting laws.
Photo: MSNBC