Advocates of expanded sports betting suffered a setback yesterday when the acting Solicitor General recommended that the Supreme Court decline to hear New Jersey’s appeal in its challenge to the federal government. The recommendation substantially diminishes the odds that the high court will agree to hear the case, but the decision will only further ramp up pressure on sports leagues to address the issue and build momentum for a legislative solution, a panel of experts told the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City on Wednesday. “I think the expectation was that the Justice Department would say ‘No you should…

The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has delayed a decision as to whether it will hear an appeal from New Jersey in its attempt to legalise sports betting in the state. According to various reports in the US media, SCOTUS has requested a brief from the Solicitor General on the ongoing case, before considering taking the case at a later date. The US has an acting Solicitor General at present, although the position will be filled permanently after President-Elect Donald Trump takes office tomorrow (Friday). The Solicitor General will consider a number of claims from New Jersey, including the state’s position…

Associated Press – A divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Michigan can’t block the opening of an off-reservation American Indian casino because the state’s legal challenge is barred by tribal sovereign immunity. In a 5-4 decision, the high court said the state could not shutter the Bay Mills Indian Community’s casino about 90 miles south of its Upper Peninsula reservation. The ruling was a win for Indian tribes, which have increasingly looked to casinos as a source of revenue and have relied on immunity to shield them from government interference. But it’s a disappointment for Michigan and more than a…

NJ.com – So many people I know are excited about “March Madness” and this weekend’s NCAA “Final Four” in college basketball. The tournament lends itself to wagering that results in big bucks for a place like Las Vegas. I read somewhere that their hotel occupancy rates are above 90 percent when this tournament is taking place. Recently, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, along with Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, spoke of the benefits of having legal sports betting in New Jersey. Atlantic City could see results similar to Las Vegas, with college basketball fans from up and down the East…

North Jersey – As Fort Lauderdale sports law attorney Daniel L. Wallach has spotted, the U.S. Supreme Court last week filed an order extending the time to file responses in the potential landmark sports betting case from March 17 until April 21. Wallach notes that the extension could mean no resolution before the end of the June term, so backers – and opponents – may need to be patient. The extension happens to come the day after Easter, so the last workweek day before the deadline is Good Friday. I wonder if that will mean a quicker filing so that…

Las Vegas Review Journal – The Supreme Court will not disturb the criminal conviction of a New York man whose underground poker game ran afoul of a federal anti-gambling law. The justices on Monday rejected an appeal from Lawrence DiCristina, who said his twice-a-week games of Texas Hold ‘em should not be covered by the federal Illegal Gambling Businesses Act. DiCristina said the law targets games of chance, like lotteries, slot machines and dice, but not poker, which is a game of skill. Bridge and Scrabble players weighed in on DiCristina’s behalf, worrying they could be targeted under a federal…