With a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court decided states have the right to legalize sports betting and struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
The Supreme Court said in it’s opinion that the 1992 federal law which prohibited sports gambling violated the Constitution by bypassing state’s rights and unconstitutionally requiring states to outlaw sports betting.
» Also: NBA's response to ruling
“The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make,” Justice Samuel Alito said in the decision. “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own. Our job is to interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution. PASPA is not.”
The Supreme Court was encouraged to uphold the federal law by all four major professional sports leagues in the United States, the NCAA and the federal government, according to a report by the Associated Press.
In reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision Monday, NCAA CEO Donald Remy released a statement.
“Today the United States Supreme Court issued a clear decision that PASPA is unconstitutional, reversing the lower courts that held otherwise,” Remy said in a statement. “While we are still reviewing the decision to understand the overall implications to college sports, we will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction fo the court.
Statements were also released by the NHL, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Major League Baseball in response to Monday's ruling. The NFL also released a statement calling for the Supreme Court to create "core regulatory framework" surrounding legal sports gambling to promote the integrity of the game.
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