Chris Christie Urges Lawmakers to Stop Federal Control of Sports Betting

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wants lawmakers to stop a bill that will give federal control of sports betting. At a conference of legislators, he said states have proven they can handle it on their own.

It was the Republican who started a court battle against the major college and pro sports leagues, which ended with the Supreme Court allowing states to offer sports betting. With his latest crusade, he wants to stop federal control of sports betting.

According to the latest gambling news, Christie asked states not to grant sports leagues integrity fees. In addition, he wanted them to refuse demands for use of official league data. He said that paying integrity fees will reward the bad behavior of the leagues.

Christie was referring to the leagues’ opposition to New Jersey’s case looking for the right to offer sports betting. At present, there are seven states allowing betting on sports. According to a pay per head blog, there will be 30 more states legalizing the activity this year.

No Need for Federal Control of Sports Betting

Christie is adamant for his call not to give federal control over sports betting. According to him, states have been overseeing gambling for years without any problems. He said that the bill introduced in the Senate that will give the federal control over sports betting is unneeded.

If the bill passes, the Justice Department will have minimum standards for states to follow. While the bill doesn’t give sports leagues an integrity fee, it doesn’t prohibit it either. According to pay per head reviews, it is a loophole that leagues can use to ask for a cut of gambling revenue.

The leagues are happy with federal control of sports betting. They said that one set of rules is better than 50 different ones. However, Christie said that leagues should change their attitude towards gambling. He said that they should accept it when they lose.