New Jersey’s Fight For Legal Sports Betting Begins [POLL/AUDIO]

After Garden State voters approved a referendum to legalize sports gambling, New Jersey issued regulations allowing the issuance of sports betting licenses.

But now, the NBA, the NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA have filed a lawsuit seeking to block Jersey from allowing people to make bets on sports contests.

Governor Christie expects the lawsuit to be thrown out.

Christie says he thinks Jersey will win the case because doesn’t believe “that the federal government has the right to decide that only certain states can have sports gambling – on what basis? And it does not acknowledge that there is illegal sports gambling going on in every state in America, as we speak…I don’t believe it’s up to the federal government to decide what happens within the borders of a state on this issue- especially when they permit other states to do it.”

Christie points out, “If there was any grand, nationwide prohibition, maybe that would be an argument. But how is it sports gambling in New Jersey going to affect the sports leagues anymore than it already affects the sports leagues in Nevada?…Gambling happens every day all over the state of Nevada and 3 other states. I don’t understand why New Jersey would make is so much worse.”

He adds, “Ultimately, I think this is going to be found to be unconstitutional. We’re going to have a long road ahead of us in the courts, but we’re prepared for a fight…My view is it’s very difficult to make an argument that it’s unconstitutional when you allow certain states to do it. I believe that ultimately we’ll prevail.”