On June 14, 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy started the legal sports betting industry in the state with a $20 wager on Germany to win last year’s World Cup, and the New Jersey Devils to hoist the 2019 Stanley Cup. Murphy would eventually lose both wagers (France/St. Louis Blues), but less than a year later he and his state hit a lucrative, historic jackpot. Since the unanimous SCOTUS decision on May 14, 2018, to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a 1992 federal law that had essentially restricted single-game sports betting to Nevada and its famed…

A recent survey by Seton Hall University suggests that legal sports betting may increase game viewership, with a majority of those surveyed saying they are more likely to tune in if they have money on a game. The findings were revealed in the latest edition of the Seton Hall Sports Poll and suggest that 70% of consumers are more likely to watch a sporting event on television or via a stream if they place a bet on it. This increases to 88% when focusing on the 18-29 age bracket. The poll also revealed an appetite for mobile betting, with 40%…

Legal Rhode Island sports betting by the end of this Thanksgiving week! Six months after the US Supreme Court ruled to allow the adoption of sports betting by any state, Rhode Island is among a vanguard of jurisdictions that have legalized it, eager for what could be a significant source of new tax revenue. With Massachusetts and other northeastern neighbors still debating the issue, Rhode Island lawmakers this summer approved sports betting at the state’s casinos, Twin River and Tiverton Casino Hotel. It’s a cautious first step. Rhode Island won’t allow remote betting from computers and phones. Next year, though,…

Sports betting is increasingly getting the attention of state lawmakers. The uptick in legislative activity for traditional sports betting — think point spreads, totals, money lines and prop bets — follows dozens of states that have considered laws specifically permitting daily fantasy sports. New state laws about sports betting had been largely dormant since the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was enacted. For two decades, PASPA dissuaded states from legalizing sports betting. But that changed in 2012 when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation to permit Nevada-style sports gambling. The NCAA, NBA, NHL, MLB…

A coalition of sports betting industry stakeholders is planning a formal lobbying effort on Capitol Hill, potentially in early 2017, that will push for the expansion of legalized wagering. That was the biggest news from the American Gaming Association at a conference for media members on Thursday. The AGA is leading the effort to shape the coalition and has made sports betting its signature initiative in recent months. On Thursday, the AGA cited the NHL’s decision to locate a franchise in Las Vegas as a major step in the evolution of American sports betting. AGA senior VP of public affairs…

This Week in Gambling – Our interview with Lloyd Levenson who has twice served as Chairman of the Casino Law Section of the New Jersey Bar Association, and was a recipient of the Gaming Industry Leadership Award for his work in various gaming related disciplines. Discussion includes what has happened in New Jersey in regard to sports betting up to now, why the professional sports leagues are so opposed and what the future holds with the U.S. Supreme Court. . . ..