The landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in May 2018, overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 or PASPA for short, has created significant excitement within the online sports betting community. But what does the new ruling really mean for states like New Jersey who are leading the way in new online sports betting legislation?
Let’s start with what PASPA actually is. The original PASPA act of 1992, which is a federal law, prohibited individual states from allowing single game gambling on a wide range of sporting events from NFL football and other pro sports. The U.S Supreme Court ruled that the legislation was effectively unconstitutional as it denied the rights of individual states to remove prohibitions within their own states pertaining to sports betting. Up until the SCOTUS ruling, only the state of Nevada was the only state that could allow single game wagering.
New Era for Sports Leagues in the USA
Sports experts, online bookmakers, sports betting fans and league owners all seem to agree that the end of PASPA signals a new era in American major league sports. Many see sports betting as a way of life in America, and there have been many pop culture references to sports betting in countless movies, TV shows and books for decades. Now that individual states are able to introduce their own legislation regarding sports betting, both real world and online, fans are looking forward to a new and enhanced way to take in their favourite sport.
It makes sense that New Jersey is leading the way, both in the real world and online, since they are the original movers behind getting PASPA squashed. Sports betting in New Jersey is gearing up in a big way and online sites like 888 New Jersey are already presenting a comprehensive and highly competitive online sports betting package in New Jersey.
Racetracks like Monmouth Park Racetrack near the famous Jersey Shaw, and casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, many of whom were actively involved in fighting the sports betting ban, are anticipating huge surges in sports betting in the state, just in time for the soccer FIFA World Cup as well as the National Basketball playoffs. Elsewhere, states including Pennsylvania, New York, Mississippi, West Virginia and Delaware are following hot on their heels with new legislation of their own.
While it is true that Delaware beat New Jersey by a few days in allowing gambling to begin, New Jersey is still recognized as the first state to officially allow wagering on sports in the state. Of course many states are eager to get going themselves, especially when one considers that illegal (black market) sports betting is worth an estimated $150 billion per year. New legislation on sports betting, particularly online sports betting, could be a massive earner for state coffers all over the nation.
For many, New Jersey is seen as the test state for how legalized sports betting will work, both in land-based betting institutions like casinos, as well as at online sports betting sites and online casinos. Many believe that online sports wagering is the best option and one that should be entered into as soon as possible post-PASPA ruling. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a highly effective way for legal sports betting sites to cut into the illegal online sports betting markets.
Online sports betting is by far the more popular option for most sports betting fans, as it gives them the most convenient and safest platform to pursue sports betting. New Jersey based online sports betting sites, like 888 Jersey, are providing a much safer and more reliable alternative to illicit sports betting sites, many of whom simply disappear with bettors money, never to be heard from again. All popular sports will be covered including NBA basketball, NFL, NHL hockey, pro soccer (MLS), major league baseball, college sports, and much more. Currently, the estimated projected revenue that New Jersey can expect to reap from new legalized online sports betting, along with land-based casino sports betting and race track betting is estimated at anywhere between $13 million and $100 million within the first year alone.
