How Did Sports Betting Become Legal in the US? In 2018, the US Supreme Court repealed a 26-year federal ban on sports betting, unleashing the largest gambling boom in American history. Key Facts & Figures Sports betting wagers grew from $5 billion (2018) to $150 billion annually. 58% of college students have bet on sports. 50% of men under 50 hold online sports betting accounts. Nearly every aspect of sports games is bet on. 97% of sports bettors lose money. Four Influential Figures Bill Bradley: The Principle Holder Former NBA player and New Jersey senator. Sponsored the 1992 PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act). Believed sports betting corrupted sports integrity (match fixing, point shaving). PASPA banned states from legalizing sports betting but didn't criminalize individual bets. Chris Christie: The Realist Governor Governor of New Jersey who pushed to repeal PASPA. Pragmatic sports fan who recognized the demand and black market prevalence. Changed position after a public referendum showing support for legalization. Signed the 2012 Sports Wagering Act legalizing sports betting in NJ. Jeremy Kudon: The Lobbyist Lawyer who helped legalize fantasy sports and sports betting. Advocated state-by-state legalization approach for broader policy change. Focused on game of skill argument for fantasy sports to persuade legislatures. Successfully influenced 23 states to legalize fantasy sports. Ted Olson: The Constitutional Lawyer Argued NJ’s case to repeal PASPA before District and Supreme Courts. Prominent Federalist Society member, influential in constitutional issues. Argued PASPA violated anti-commandeering doctrine (Congress cannot force states to enact or enforce laws). Lost at lower courts but framed the debate around federalism and states' rights. History and Evolution Creation of Fantasy Sports 1979: Dan Okrent invents fantasy baseball—picking real players for a fantasy team. Grew into a popular social and gambling pastime over decades. Early fantasy sports bet small amounts among friends. PASPA (1992) Sponsored by Bill Bradley. Banned states, except a few with existing laws, from authorizing sports betting. Federal law aimed at preventing corruption but did not criminalize individual betting. Commercialization: FanDuel & DraftKings 2009: FanDuel introduces daily fantasy sports with large jackpots. 2012: DraftKings founded as a competitor. Heavy TV advertising led to regulatory scrutiny. 2015: NY and Illinois AGs order shutdown of fantasy sports as illegal gambling. Legalizing Fantasy Sports Kudon convinced legislatures fantasy sports are skill-based, not gambling. Kansas first to legalize daily fantasy sports, followed by 22 more states. New Jersey’s Battle NJ had an active illegal sports betting scene despite PASPA. 2007: Politician Rudy Garcia indicted in FBI sting, spurring advocacy. Ray Lesniak pushed legalization; Christie came around after public referendum. 2012 Sports Wagering Act passed, but leagues sued immediately. Legal Fight & Supreme Court Ruling Ted Olson defended NJ, arguing PASPA forced states to enforce bans unconstitutionally. Lower courts ruled against NJ; Supreme Court initially refused hearing. Christie’s 2014 move repealed NJ's sports betting ban without authorizing betting. Leagues sued again; cases dragged on with hefty legal costs. 2017: Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. Olson argued PASPA violated anti-commandeering; justices focused on state vs federal power balance. May 2018: Supreme Court struck down PASPA (6-3), ending the federal ban on sports betting. Aftermath Ruling allowed states to legalize sports betting. Rudy Kudon and lobbyists worked to persuade more states. As of the article, 38 states have legalized sports betting. Conclusion The legalization story was shaped by: Bill Bradley’s initial ban