US Supreme Court rules federal sports betting ban is unconstitutional

(This story will be updated throughout the day.)

The US Supreme Court has declared the federal ban on sports betting to be unconstitutional, opening up the floodgates on a new American legal betting landscape.

On Monday, the Court released its hotly anticipated decision in the case of New Jersey vs. the four major pro sports leagues, the NCAA and the US Department of Justice. By a vote of 7-2, the Court reversed the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that struck down New Jersey’s plan to authorize legal wagering at Atlantic City casinos and state racetracks.

The Court’s decision (viewable in full here) declares that 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) violates the US Constitution’s 10th amendment, which prevents the federal government from ‘commandeering’ the authority of state governments. The Court said PASPA “unequivocally dictates what a state legislature may or may not do.”