US Court Opens The Door To Legalise Sports Betting

The US Supreme Court has paved the way for states to legalise gambling on sport - a business worth tens of billions of dollars a year. The move had been opposed by most professional sports bodies over fears of match-fixing,

The nation's top court ruled in favour of New Jersey, the eastern state that has lobbied for years for the right to allow sports betting.

The court struck down a 1992 federal law which banned gambling on professional and university sports except in four states where the market was already in place -- Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon.

Congress had enacted the legislation on the grounds that gambling would threaten the integrity of sporting events.

In its opinion, the high court said the US Congress reserves the right to regulate sports gambling directly, "but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own".

The ruling, which eliminates Nevada's near-stranglehold on sports betting in the United States, is expected to lead to a rush by state legislatures to authorise sports wagering in a bid to reap tax revenue.

The news caused a rally in shares of large bookmakers and betting-related companies.

Major League Baseball, which along with other professional sports leagues had opposed changing the law, said the ruling would have "profound effects". In a statement it said: "Our most important priority is protecting the integrity of our games." (AFP)