New Jersey scoffs at leagues’ pursuit of integrity/royalty fees

The major sports leagues had a mixed reception at separate sports betting discussions in New Jersey and New York on Monday.

Monday saw committees in each of New Jersey’s legislative chambers approve their respective sports betting bills, paving the way for a vote by the full legislature, possibly as early as Thursday (7). Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign the bill into law the following day.

The bills advanced despite fierce opposition from representatives from several pro sports bodies, including Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the PGA Tour. The leagues are requesting/demanding a 0.25% cut of all sports wagers, ostensibly to fund ‘integrity’ efforts but, in reality, an opportunistic cash grab based on the leagues’ perceived intellectual property rights.

The league reps were excoriated by Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, a longtime gaming advocate who didn’t mince words in slamming the leagues’ “disgraceful” attempt to turn the state’s recent victory at the US Supreme Court into an obligation to line the pockets of those who so vehemently opposed the state’s multi-year legal betting quest.