Nicholas R. Amato Quoted in Law360 Article on NJ’s Sports Betting Bill

Nicholas R. Amato, Of Counsel in the Casino & Gaming Law Practice, was quoted in a June 11 Law360 article about recently enacted legislation authorizing sports betting in New Jersey.

Mr. Amato said that limited prohibition, in which sports team owners would be allowed to offer sports betting but not accept wagers on any game in which a member team in their league participates, was fair and reasonable. “The ‘optics’ of the Golden Nugget (casino in Atlantic City) taking NBA bets would not look good, but prohibiting sports betting there entirely would be too restrictive,” he said. “I think exactly where it is right now is the right answer. I think it addresses the issue but doesn’t overly penalize the owner.”

Mr. Amato also commented on the provision mandating that the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement would be authorized to share information about suspicious betting with ‘any law enforcement entity, team, sports governing body, or regulatory agency the division deems appropriate.’ “The last thing they want, an operator, is a scandal. When somebody wins a bet, it’s great publicity for a casino or a racetrack, but a scandal is not,” he said. “The point is if you think something is suspicious, notify the DGE and let them take it from there. They’re pros. They know what they’re doing.”

To read the full article, please click here.