SCOTUS PASPA Decision

Early Monday morning, the United States Supreme Court ended a nearly six-year long legal battle regarding the constitutionality of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (“PASPA”). In doing so, the Court held that PASPA violated the 10th Amendment’s “anti-commandeering” principle, which provides that if the Constitution does not give power to the federal government or take power away from the states, that power is reserved for the states or the people themselves. This ruling opens the floodgates for states and tribes to regulate sports wagering. In fact, several states have already passed or drafted legislation in anticipation of this decision, and expect to have sports wagering operations before the next NFL football season begins.