Philadelphia Court upholds federal sports betting ban

A federal ban on sports betting in all but four U.S. states was upheld by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.

However, the ruling left the door open for New Jersey to further appeal the matter to the full court, local media reports said.

New Jersey has been trying since 2009 to legalize sports betting at its casinos and racetracks to boost its sagging gambling industry.

At issue in the appeal was whether a 2014 New Jersey law repealing prohibitions against sports gambling violates a 1992 federal ban in all states except Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware.

The American Gaming Association, which is currently leading an industry-wide task force to study sports betting, said it will assess the implications of the court’s decision.

"Today’s decision by the Third Circuit on sports betting and how gaming is regulated encourages deeper examination about the best path forward on this issue. With Americans betting at least $140 billion on sports illegally each year, it's clear that current law is not achieving its intended result,” AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a release.