MLB, other sports leagues sue New Jersey over sports gambling

Craig Calcaterra

Aug 7, 2012, 4:31 PM EDT

22 Comments

MLB is shocked SHOCKED to see sports gambling about to happen in New Jersey:

Four U.S. professional sports organizations, including the National Football League and Major League Baseball, sued to block sports wagering in New Jersey, saying it would raise doubts about the integrity of games … “Sports gambling in New Jersey would irreparably harm amateur and professional sports by fostering suspicion that individual plays and final scores of games may have been influenced by factors other than honest competition,” the leagues said in the complaint.

Meanwhile, a huge number of MLB teams continue to accept sponsorship from casinos, including Mohegan Sun, Harrah’s and others and gambling on baseball is widespread in Nevada casinos.

So what’s the objection? Pot not sweet enough for you, sports leagues?

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The Dangerous Mabry - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:34 PM

I think that should read “Sports gambling in New Jersey WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL KICKBACKS TO THE LEAGUES would irreparably harm amateur and professional sports…”

Because I’m pretty sure that’s what they meant.

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CJ - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:35 PM

Actually, it’s 5 “professional sports leagues”. The NCAA is in on it too.

Sure, they’re amateurs, but the NCAA makes billions off of them, as if they’re professionals. close enough.

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- theawesomersfranchise - Aug 8, 2012 at 12:31 AM
  
  Canadian government takes bets on all 5 plus, Nascar and PGA and makes a pretty penny doing so. Pretty sure the Ontario makes some sort of yearly “donation” to a Raptors charity because the NBA made a stink about it when expansion happened.
  
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royhobbs39 - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:38 PM

Bud probably thinks that if people start gambling on baseball, then there may be the beginnings of people wanting to see instant replay to correct umpiring mistakes. And we all know that would take the human element out of the game. And we cannot have that.

Fun game – Which words should have been highlighted to indicate sarcasm?

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proudlycanadian - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:50 PM

Florio had a different take on this topic yesterday. He pointed out, that under federal law. New Jersey does not have the legal right to institute sports betting.

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- churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:53 PM
  
  Considering Florio, and the entire PFT staff, are giant shills for the NFL, I’d take what they say with a grain of salt.
  
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  - proudlycanadian - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:56 PM
    
    He cited a major court precedent that is in place. You should try to find the story and read it for yourself.
  - bigleagues - Aug 9, 2012 at 1:01 AM
    
    Proudly and church are both kind of right.
    
    It is currently illegal under ‘Federal law’.
    
    But Federal laws are often challenged and that’s precisely what Governor Christie intends to do if confronted.
    
    There are all kinds of special interests at work here. And I wouldn’t spend too much time on the hype or hoopla surrounding the public debate.
    
    Either you are for legalizing the sports book or you are not.
    
    Personally, I think it is fairly obvious that the Federal government has a rather suspect case if they intend to enforce the existing law against NJ and I think that’s what the Governor is banking on.
    
    It’s kind of hard for the Feds to crack the whip on a state like NJ, with a well-established gaming industry and yet allow Nevada an exception that no other State enjoys. As the gaming industry goes, that represents a fairly substantial Federally endorsed competitive advantage.
    
    And so when push comes to shove, New Jersey will win this fight, but probably not before millions of dollars of taxpayer resources are spent by both sides in a battle between two private industries.
    
    Awesome.
    
    Not.
- dondada10 - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:55 PM
  
  But how did he connect the conversation to Tim Tebow?
  
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- drunkenhooliganism - Aug 7, 2012 at 5:33 PM
  
  The precedent that he cited was that delaware was rejected on its attempt for full sports betting (now, you can only bet three or more team NFL parlays in delaware.). But their argument was that ONLY delaware (and Nevada of course) could have legal sports betting. They tried to overrule and uphold the same law somehow.
  
  Delaware knows that, other than the Dogfish Head brewery and brewpub, they are merely in the way. So getting every state equal rights to sports betting wasn’t in their interest. New Jersey is fine with everyone having sports betting. Their argument is if Nevada can have it, it’s unconstitutional for other states to be denied it.
  
  It will inevitably come down to whether the sports leagues and illegal bookmakers can come up with more bribe money and persuasion than the casinos
  
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brewcrewfan54 - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:50 PM

I’m all about sports gammbling. I wish it was legal. If I want to put some action on a game thats on me and my wallet. If players want to tank games to win money its up to them if they can sleep at night.

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mrwillie - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:54 PM

NJ +1 1/2 (-200)
MLB – 1 1/2 (+170)

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ajcardsfan - Aug 7, 2012 at 4:55 PM

I’m starting to think Bud Selig is John Locke incarnate. He thinks peoples are basically good. It also explains on his refusal to accept Instant Replay and I’m assuming repentance of all technology…after all, if he is Locke reincarnated, he probably thinks this is still the 1700s

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- natslady - Aug 7, 2012 at 5:06 PM
  
  “repentance of all technology”? Do you need a priest for absolution?
  
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  - Old Gator - Aug 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM
    
    No, you just need to drop your cellphone into the urinal at the airport bathroom while trying to call your wife to pick you up and whizz at the same time.
shanabartels - Aug 7, 2012 at 5:50 PM

I’m from Jersey and I voted against the proposal when it was on the ballot. Yes, I know it’s not LIKELY that allowing people to gamble on sports will result in something like the Black Sox Scandal happening again. But I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of it.

I’ll leave my feelings on Chris Christie out of this if you guys don’t bring instant replay into this. It’s a different issue entirely. Let’s not conflate two disparate issues here.

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drewsylvania - Aug 7, 2012 at 6:56 PM

Greedmongers are greedy.

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Old Gator - Aug 7, 2012 at 7:31 PM

What do you want to bet that the State wins this action?

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- mrwillie - Aug 7, 2012 at 9:08 PM
  
  Precisely what I was saying above.
  
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iranuke - Aug 7, 2012 at 8:38 PM

I would think that there would be less problems with legalized gambling than with the illegal system that now exists. Keep the action away from the mob.

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rcali - Aug 7, 2012 at 10:29 PM

Don’t think there are not a lot of big time people in Nevada paying off anyone who will put out their hand to keep it all to themselves. I’m sure more than a few politicians have stayed in the big boy suites in Vegas.

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Marty - Aug 8, 2012 at 1:49 AM

Harry Reid vs Chris Cristie.

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