Connecticut joins list of states banking on NJ Supreme Court case

ecticut Governor Danell Malloy signed a bill into law that would allow the state to offer legal sports betting, should officials at the Supreme Court rule in favour of the New Jersey appeal.House bill 6948 which was initially passed by the Connecticut state legislature in June includes the following wording: “The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to regulate wagering on sporting events to the extent permitted by state and federal law.”The bill also includes authorisation of a new casino development in the state and allows for an increase in the number of off-track horseracing betting sites.Despite the new legislation sports betting is currently prohibited in the state of Connecticut and this would need to be repealed before any state-wide introduction and regulation could take place.Officials in Mississippi passed similar legislation legalising sports betting last month removing a clause in the 1990 Mississippi Gaming Act which prohibited wagering on sports events in the state.In October US Supreme Court justices will review an August 2016 ruling by the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals that an earlier 2014 New Jersey statute permitting sports betting at casinos and racetracks effectively violated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).Under PASPA, betting on sports is only permitted in four states, Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. The New Jersey appeal claims that PASPA is unconstitutional under existing constitutional statutes which prohibit federal authorities from interfering in state affairs.Both states are relying on the US Supreme Court siding with New Jersey, which would effectively pave the way for the repeal or amendment of PASPA and spark off a US rush to legalise sports betting.