Not too long after the NFL owners voted to move the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas, New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. touched on the move and how it signifies that the NFL could be open to sports betting one day.
Frank Pallone Jr. On Sports Betting
He said “Today, the NFL owners almost unanimously voted to approve the Raiders organization move to Las Vegas. This move is a clear sign that the league owners’ attitudes toward sports betting has changed. I hope that following today’s vote, I can count on the support of the NFL and the NFL team owners for my efforts to legalize and regulate sports betting.”
As we all know, Nevada is the only state in the US that has taken advantage of the exemption that legally allows the full act of gambling on sports after they were exempt from PASPA, a federal law that prevents the act everywhere else. New Jersey also had the option to allow sports betting but missed their window. They have been attempting to get their opportunity back for some time now and it is currently being appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
NFL Reiterates Stance Against Sports Betting
Even with Pallone, and tons of others, including NFL owners speculating that the NFL may be loosening up their stance on the issue because of the Raiders, move to Vegas, that doesn’t appear to be the case yet. The NFL reiterated its stance against sports betting after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained that they are still opposed to the topic and are actually plaintiffs in the New Jersey sports betting proceedings.
That being said, this move to Las Vegas could have never happened 10 years ago, maybe not even 5 years ago, because the issue of sports betting was more prominent. Now that sports betting is so easily accessible, it doesn’t really seem to make a difference whether a team is in a city where gambling is legal, it can be enjoyed anywhere anyway. So it can be argued that the NFL has loosened up slightly on the issue.
What Sports Betting In New Jersey Means For Colorado?
Congressman Pallone is really working hard to help allow sports betting in New Jersey. Most recently he helped to put together a hearing in front of congress to discuss sports betting as well as the oft-debated issue of daily fantasy sports. During this hearing, he produced legislation to change the federal ban on sports gambling. That being said, it is unlikely that Pallone will gain the NFL’s support on the issue but his persistence has made him a driving force in the cause. With an NFL team moving to the heart of sports gambling in the United States, the state of legal sports gambling is certainly worth diving into
This could be key for a state like Colorado to jump in after NJ and institute legal Colorado gambling that covers sports on the same level. With the explosion of the cannabis and the tourist industry that has popped up to service the void left by states who have yet to provide citizens legal cannabis, it stands to reason the same thing would happen if Colorado added legal sports betting to the mix. And the NFL would go a long way to laying the ground work for that to be acceptable. While online sports wagering has been a viable alternative for residents for many years it would be nice to have more options as a free American!
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