Christie Unilaterally Lifts Sports-Betting Prohibition

[Hari Seldon]

Source: New York Times

In his most aggressive gambit yet to bring sports betting to the aid of New Jersey’s ailing casino industry, Gov. Chris Christie issued a directive on Monday saying that the state would not prosecute casinos and racetracks for accepting wagers on most athletic contests.

The governor’s office said the prohibition would be lifted “effective today,” but it also sought approval from a judge who had earlier blocked sports betting, creating confusion about what would be allowed, and when.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/nyregion/christie-unilaterally-lifts-sports-betting-prohibition.html?_r=0

[Divernan]

1. Absolutely unprecedented hubris! He don't need no stinkin' balance of power!

Mr. Christie’s move was unexpected; as recently as a month ago, he vetoed legislation that would have similarly repealed the prohibition on sports betting at casinos and racetracks.

A spokeswoman for the United States attorney, Paul J. Fishman, said his office had no advance notice of the governor’s directive or his request to the court, which is unusual in litigation that has played out for several years. But she declined to comment beyond that.

(G)ridlock was the defining metaphor of the Christie administration, noting that the state led the nation in foreclosures and was ranked 48th in economic growth.

Last week, a ratings agency issued the seventh credit downgrade of Mr. Christie’s tenure — more than under any other New Jersey governor — after the governor failed to make the pension payments he promised in legislation he once championed as having “fixed” the problem of rising retirement costs.

Disturbingly, some Democrats support Christie's action. "State Senator Raymond Lesniak, a Democrat who has been the Legislature’s leading proponent of sports betting and was a sponsor of the legislation the governor vetoed last month, welcomed the directive, saying that it would simply permit gambling that already takes place every day." This disturbs me because gambling is for the mathematically challenged, and is such a damn quick way to redistribute wealth from the poorest of suckers to the One Percent.

[joeglow3]

9. I don't have a problem with it.

First, gambling should be allowed. Second, is this really different than a president using executive power to get things done?

[LuvNewcastle]

2. I'll place a bet that Christie has had a big donation recently.

I think the odds are in my favor.

[santroy79]

3. I cant stand him

but there is no reason sports betting shouldnt be allowed everywhere

[n2doc]

4. Maybe he should make pot legal too

That would improve their economy a lot more!

[Historic NY]

5. End run around the bench ....

Mr. Christie’s announcement also distracted from the reminders of another nagging problem for the governor: Monday was the first anniversary of the closing of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, which was later revealed to have been engineered and then concealed by the governor’s aides and allies at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

[LynneSin]

6. That's not going to bring back 5000 jobs to New Jersey

[rurallib]

7. I may be wrong here, but doesn't the NFL

have a ban against teams playing in states that allow sports betting?
If so, this would directly affect the Giants and the Jets.

[starroute]

10. You mean this?

http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB124511421029417367

June 16, 2009

Some of the National Football League's founders were gamblers. The league draws more wagers in the U.S. than any other sport. It recently authorized its teams to sell their logos to state lotteries. But when it comes letting states expand sports betting, the NFL has made its position clear: Not now, not ever.

The NFL, which says it will earn $8 billion in revenue this year, is threatening to file a lawsuit against the state of Delaware, where the supreme court unanimously concluded last month that parlays -- bets on the outcome of two or more events -- are constitutional, opening the door, as early as this fall, for the state to host what would be the first legal sports books outside of Nevada.

Experts on gambling say the decision could have a domino effect. Last month, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine threw his weight behind a federal lawsuit that could pave the way for legalized sports betting in Atlantic City and a spokesman for Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell says he's following the suit with "keen interest."

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, who announced the plan in March, says the games could bring in as much as $55 million in tax revenue and would help cover the state's projected $800-million budget shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The governor says he has received several letters from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as well as a surprise visit from an NFL representative, who met him in a hallway at the capitol last month and, he says, "urged me not to go forward with this."

[rurallib]

13. thank you.

I think a video of Christie getting gang tackled by the Giants front four would be in order.

[tridim]

8. His mob ties will be very happy with this.

He is rotten all the way to the core.

[closeupready]

11. This doesn't bother me. And as most who travel can attest,

almost every major city in the world has a district set aside for those who wish to bet on games of skill, chance, sports events, horse racing, etc. Why Atlantic City was prohibited from accepting wagers on sporting events while Las Vegas was not is something I don't understand at all.

While it is unlikely to create 5,000 jobs, any measure that makes AC competitive with other gaming destinations is likely to help somewhat.

[benld74]

12. I thought Boardwalk Empire was set in the early 1900's,,,,,,,,,