Jersey Play for Sports Betting Heats Up as Governor Signs On

A lawsuit to give every state the right to legalize sports betting became much more likely to succeed as the governor of New Jersey threw his state's support behind the state Senator who filed.

Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey today said sports betting should be legal across the US. The governor said he supported a state lawmaker's suit to acquire legal sports gambling for New Jersey.

State Senator Ray Lesniak has filed suit against the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, claiming that the law's grandfathering of four states was unconstitutionally discriminatory against the rest of the US. But Corzine's support lends a new level of credibility to the Lesniak suit.

Legal experts had said the suit as originally raised would have difficulty, as the state as the victim of the discrimination needed to be a party to the suit. Now, Corzine's backing can mean a much tougher case for the US attorneys.

New Jersey legislators want to be able to match Delaware's gaming status by following suit and legalizing sports gambling, but the federal law doesn't allow New Jersey that option.

"If one state is allowed is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity," said Corzine.

The governor and state join iMEGA and two horse racing associations in supporting the Lesniak lawsuit.