Written by Jacob Honan
The United States has an undeniable attraction to betting on sports. Recent studies indicate that sports gamblers spend an astounding $105 billion annually through both legal and illegal means. On May 13, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued their decision in Murphy v. NCAA, giving many gambling fans across the nation reason to celebrate. The primary takeaway from the Court’s 6–3 ruling is that all states are free to decide whether their citizens may gamble on professional sports, overturning prior law. As a result, some states have already implemented measures to make sports gambling widespread and accessible, while owners of professional sports teams are looking forward to seeing their revenue dramatically increase. The rationale for this decision—based on the right of states to be free from commandeering by the federal government—will likely shape other areas of constitutional law for years to come.
Background
In 1992, Congress enacted the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (“PASPA”), which forbid 46 states from authorizing any form of gambling on sports. This law was intended to protect the integrity of the professional leagues, as legislators feared that allowing such betting would “change the nature of sporting events from wholesome entertainment for all ages to devices for gambling.” Four states (most notably Nevada) were exempted from this regulation, and could allow sports gambling to varying degrees.
Controversy arose in 2012, when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie enacted a law that authorized gambling on professional sports within the state. The statute was in clear violation of PASPA and was prohibited from taking effect. The four major professional sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA) and the NCAA sued New Jersey, arguing that this state law was invalid because it conflicted with PASPA. New Jersey was defeated in every lower court, but the Supreme Court granted certiorari and reviewed the case.
Murphy v. NCAA
Surprisingly, the Court overturned every prior decision and ruled in favor of New Jersey, but the decision did not give any explicit endorsement of gambling. The majority of the Court, led by Justice Samuel Alito, relied on the anti-commandeering doctrine from the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution in making its decision. In essence, the anti-commandeering doctrine prohibits the federal government from “commandeering” state governments to implement certain laws. The Court held that PASPA violated the anti-commandeering doctrine because it prohibited states from allowing their citizens to bet on professional sports. While illustrating that PASPA imposes an unconstitutional infringement on state rights, Justice Alito stated that “[a] more direct affront to state sovereignty is not easy to imagine.”
The major sports leagues that sued the state of New Jersey argued that PASPA did not qualify as commandeering because the statute merely prohibited a state from legalizing sports wagering, and did not command any affirmative behavior. The Court rejected this claim, holding that the clear purpose of PASPA was to control activities within the states, which is a violation of the purpose of the Tenth Amendment. The Court also found no evidence that sports wagering qualifies as interstate commerce, which can generally be regulated by the federal government.
Finally, the court did not give explicit approval or disapproval to betting on professional sports, as its decision was based on constitutional concerns, not practical ones. Furthermore, the opinion allows for Congress to choose to ban or allow sports gambling altogether. However, Congress also has the option bypass the issue and let the individual states decide for themselves.
What Does the Court’s Decision Mean Going Forward?
Hypothetically, if Congress does decide to institute a nation-wide ban on betting on professional sports, it is plausible that the Supreme Court would uphold such a law. Experts have speculated that the Court would apply the strict scrutiny standard of review to this issue. A law subject to strict scrutiny will only be upheld if it is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest. If a suit challenging such a law is brought in the future, the government will likely defend a ban on sports gambling by using the same rhetoric as the enactors of PASPA—that ensuring the integrity of professional sports by prohibiting gambling qualifies as a compelling government interest. A challenger to this law would claim that there is no correlation between professional sports gambling and corruption within the leagues, and so a prohibition of gambling would not further the government’s interest. It remains to be seen whether Congress will prohibit sports wagering, but interesting lawsuits would undoubtedly result if they choose to do so.
In addition, the Court’s rationale in Murphy v. NCAA will likely impact claims brought against other laws that involve commandeering of states. For example, this decision appears to give significant ammunition to challengers of federal marijuana regulations, as they now have a credible argument that bans on the substance qualify as commandeering of state sovereignty. In addition, some cities have refused to follow recently-enacted federal immigration laws, and can use this ruling to claim that these laws pose a Tenth Amendment violation. Thus, the impact of this case could travel far beyond the casino, and will likely be relied upon in other areas of constitutional law for years to come.
Sources
Marc Edelman, Explaining the Supreme Court’s Recent Sports Betting Decision, Forbes (May 16, 2018).
Charles Star, Here’s What That Supreme Court Decision About Sports Betting Actually Does, Deadspin (May 15, 2018).
Sean Gregory, The Risks and Rewards of the Supreme Court’s Sports Gambling Decision, Time (May 18, 2018).
Amy Howe, Opinion Analysis: Justices strike down federal sports gambling law, SCOTUSBlog.com (May 14, 2018).
Michael McCann, Why New Jersey Won Its Supreme Court Battle to Legalize Sports Betting, Sports Illustrated (May 14, 2018).
Yancey Roy, What the Supreme Court’s Decision on sports betting actually means, Newsday (May 18, 2018).
Photos Courtesy of WKBW Buffalo & USA Today.