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…

Canadian gaming giant Amaya has filed a notice of appeal against a Kentucky court order to pay $870 million (€794 million) in damages for subsidiary PokerStars’ allegedly illegal operations in the US state between 2006 and 2011. Amaya said that it has filed a $100 million supersedeas bond to stay enforcement of the order “during the pendency of the appeals process”. Amaya added that it will “continue to vigorously challenge the trial court’s order”. “In late January, pursuant to and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the merger agreement governing the acquisition of the PokerStars business, a subsidiary…

DraftKings cited horse racing and spelling bees as it appealed the preliminary injunction imposed against daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators in New York. The court that sided with state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in his battle to ban DFS operators “abused its discretion” and committed several errors of law when it imposed the injunction in December, DraftKings argued in an appeal filed this week. The company claims that a preliminary injunction banning ban DraftKings and FanDuel in New York should be thrown out because Schneiderman “did not come close to carrying the burden” of proving that the law is on…

New Jersey’s effort to offer legalized sports betting was given new life Wednesday when a federal appeals court agreed to reconsider its decision to prohibit gambling on games. The move vacated an Aug. 25 decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia that upheld a lower-court ruling that had voided state legislation on sports gambling. The judges held then, in a 2-to-1 decision, that New Jersey’s efforts to allow casinos and racetracks to take bets violated the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or Paspa, which was passed in 1992. “We acknowledge New…

Governor Christie and the state Attorney General’s office have filed the New Jersey sports betting appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the court to overturn a 22-year-old federal law that is preventing New Jersey racetracks and Atlantic City’s casinos from offering sports betting. The state’s thoroughbred horsemen, who also have standing in the case on the side of New Jersey, also have filed. The response from the Dept of Justice, NFL, et al is due March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day). NOTE: SCOTUS not expected to make a decision on whether to take the case (they take relatively few) until…