Inside INdiana Business is reporting an associate professor of business law and ethics says Indiana is one of about 20 states that has considered some kind of sports gambling measure, meaning it could revisit the idea after Monday’s Supreme Court ruling lifting a federal ban on the practice. Nathaniel Grow with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis says he believes the state would want to at least consider going after a piece of the billions of dollars that are bet illegally on sports in the United States each year. State Representative Alan Morrison (R-42) authored a proposal to legalize sports gambling during this year’s regular legislative session, but the bill did not advance.
The 7-2 decision rules the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act unconstitutional, clearing the way for states to make their own decisions on legalizing sports gambling. Federal and state governments could consider their own regulations. Grow says New Jersey already has regulation proposals in place, allowing residents to begin sports gambling within a matter of weeks. For others, he says, the process could take months or years.
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill praised the high court’s decision. In a statement, he called the case an example of states coming together “to defend their rightful prerogatives against the intrusive meddling of Congress.” Indiana lawmakers could assign the issue to a summer study committee.
The ruling covers professional and amateur sports betting. The NCAA, which is based in Indianapolis, issued a statement saying, while it continues to review the decision, “we will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction from the court.”