Petition granted.

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear New Jersey’s appeal in the state’s long-running quest to offer legalized sports betting. The ruling breaks a string of courtroom losses for New Jersey, dating back to 2012.

The five major sports leagues — the NCAA, NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball — that sued New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie over the state’s plan had urged the Supreme Court to decline review in the case. In reviewing applications for hearings, at least four of the nine Supreme Court justices normally must agree to take the case.

“The case started the conversation in earnest about sports betting in the United States,” said Marc Dunbar, a gaming attorney and partner in the Jones Walker law firm who has followed the case closely.

Now the legal dispute could result in a dramatic change in how the nation approaches sports gambling. The sports betting landscape in the U.S. has evolved significantly during nearly five years of litigation between Christie and the sports leagues.

With the case now at the Supreme Court for full review, ESPN examines how we got to this point and answers other key questions moving forward.

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