Court invites the acting US Solicitor General to give his views
The US Supreme Court, which is for the second year mulling whether to hear New Jersey's case for wider legalised sports betting in the United States has showed some interest in the case.
On Tuesday the court issued an invitation to the acting US Solictor General, inviting him "to file a brief in these cases expressing the views of the United States".
The invitation follows submissions already made by the state of New Jersey, the NJ Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, the national sports leagues and other interested parties, which the Court is currently considering for a full hearing and argument.
The American Gaming Association commented: "We are encouraged that the U.S. Supreme Court has expressed interest in the problems posed by PASPA, the failed law that fuels a $150 billion illegal sports betting market. We are optimistic that the 25-year-old federal sports betting ban will be removed and sports fans will soon have safe, legal ways to engage in sports that also protect the integrity of games."
The Washington Post reported that the decision to await a submission from the Solicitor General could result in a delay in announcing whether the Court will hear the New Jersey case of several months.The newspaper reports that the parties will be disappointed, because the announcement of the Court's hearing decision was anticipated for Tuesday.
The Reuters news agency reports that the Trump incoming administration team has also been asked for its views. Incoming president Donald Trump has not yet nominated anyone to fill the role of solicitor general, the Justice Department lawyer who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court. It is the solicitor general who would officially file the brief laying out the new administration's position in the gambling case.
New Jersey.com reports that private law firms have received more than $6 million from the New Jersey government since 2012 to make the case for legalising sports-betting in the Garden State. This amount apparently does not include work by Gibson Dunn and other firms on legal briefs to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to take the sports betting case; Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLC has received $5.18 million for representing NJ Gov. Chris Christie in sports-betting litigation, according to information obtained by the media through a public records request.
Other payments for sports-betting work include $1.35 million to Gibbons PC to represent the state Legislature and $79,000 to the same firm to represent the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
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