New Jersey racetrack sues NBA, NHL and other sports leagues

The Monmouth Park Racetrack in New Jersey has a mammoth-sized lawsuit on its hands. The racetrack is said to be suing a number of sports leagues over claims that they repeatedly worked to suppress sports gambling in the country, causing it to lose millions in revenue.

The lawsuit was filed in May in the US District Court of New Jersey by the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA). It claims that it has lost a minimum of $130 million since 2014 due to the actions of the NCAA (the body that oversees collegiate sports in the US), the NFL, the NHL and the MLB. The lawsuit reads, in part, “The leagues’ actions nearly put Monmouth Park out of business, inflicted significant financial and emotional hardship on hundreds of innocent Monmouth Park workers, and jeopardized the continued viability of New Jersey’s entire equine industry.”

Despite attempts by the leagues’ lawyers to deem the suit “meritless, if not frivolous,” the NJTHA is pushing forward. This week, the association argued that the May decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is proof that the leagues have worked to block Monmouth Park from allowing sports betting as far back as 2014.

The NJTHA points out that it partnered with William Hill in 2014 to establish a sports book at its facility. However, as it was preparing to launch operations, the leagues filed for a restraining order that prevented them from moving forward. The restraining order was granted, but the leagues were forced to put up a bond in the amount of $3.4 million to cover lost costs in the event the case didn’t proceed.