This week Gary Pretlow, New York Assemblyman, said he is willing to prepare legislation that would legalize sports betting in his state. Therefore, he would have to challenge the federal ban on sports betting in the US.
For the forthcoming legislative session, Pretlow said he would turn his attention to the subject of traditional sports betting. Of course, if the regulation of fantasy sports in New York is successful.
Earlier this month, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York signed the state’s DFS legislation, which is co-sponsored by Pretlow, who is chairman of the Assembly Racing Committee.
Senator John Bonacic, who is a DFS co-sponsor in the Senate, was also fully behind the poker legislation online. However, it stalled in Pretlow’s own chamber after it easily passed through the Senate. By offering the opinion publicly that poker was not “a game of skill”, Pretlow failed to grease the skids of his poker legislation.
Believer in Legalizing Sports Betting
Since New Jersey has failed to successfully attempt to legalize sports betting for several years, Pretlow was ready to challenge federal law as he declared himself to be a “believer in legalizing sports betting” (while he may not be 100 percent sure about poker).
“I’m considering this year putting in legislation similar to New Jersey’s legislation, and hopefully it gets to court in the Second Circuit, and hopefully we get a different opinion”.
A long and winding road lies head, as Pretlow acknowledged:
“Any discussion of legalizing sports betting in NY is premature at this point. There are significant legal issues to consider before undertaking this endeavor”.
New Jersey Gets No Joy
It’s very difficult to see why a federal court would be as accommodating in the event that Pretlow’s promised legislation is accept by both houses. In the past, most recently as two weeks ago, New Jersey’s legal challenges have been rebuffed so resoundingly. To authorize such an amendment, New York would likely require a constitutional referendum before it even got to federal courts.
Ever since New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing sports betting in a nonbinding referendum, the state has been fighting for its right to do so since 2011.
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