If the US Supreme Court decides to take up the New Jersey sports betting case, it will be a sure victory for proponents in the Garden State, State Senator Raymond Lesniak said this week at the annual East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City. But just in case the high court decides otherwise, Lesniak said he is already drafting legislation that would still allow casinos and racetracks to offer sports wagering on their premises. So while the state waits to see if the green light for betting on sports comes from either Washington or Trenton, Lesniak said it would be…

North Jersey – As Fort Lauderdale sports law attorney Daniel L. Wallach has spotted, the U.S. Supreme Court last week filed an order extending the time to file responses in the potential landmark sports betting case from March 17 until April 21. Wallach notes that the extension could mean no resolution before the end of the June term, so backers – and opponents – may need to be patient. The extension happens to come the day after Easter, so the last workweek day before the deadline is Good Friday. I wonder if that will mean a quicker filing so that…

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. . . ..

Compatible Poker – The Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, agrees that the price tag on pursuing the legalization of sports betting in the state is hefty, but he says that the cost is worth it in the long run.  According to Matt Friedman, a reporter for the Newark Star-Ledger, the state is expected to pay over $2.3 million to legal firms to help overturn the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), with New Jersey using firms “that employ some of the biggest names in the legal world”. At least one media outlet has justified these high costs, however….

North Jersey – The Third Circuit Court of Appeals’ rejection two weeks ago of New Jersey’s petition to legalize sports gambling at Atlantic City casinos is described as a “net negative” in a filing released Friday by Moody’s. Senior analyst Baye Larsen said the decision – which was reached on the conclusion that the New Jersey law runs afoul of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 passed by Congress and signed into law – “eliminates a potential new source of tax revenues and economic activity for the state.” Of course, state sports betting advocates would say that…

Click here to see our interview with the Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement – CBS Local – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appears undaunted by this past week’s split decision from a three judge federal appeals panel in Philadelphia that continues a prohibition on sports gambling in the Garden State. In fact, Christie is optimistic the US Supreme Court will take up the matter. The Third Circuit panel voted 2-1 to continue a lower court order that stops a plan to allow sports betting within the state, Sports better is now  allowed under federal law in…