Leagues challenge Monmouth's sports betting plans

Five major sports leagues have filed a request for injunction seeking to stop Monmouth Park in New Jersey from offering bets on their games as of Oct. 26.

The request for injunction was filed Monday by the NFL, NHL, NBA, Major League Baseball, and the NCAA in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J. The suit asks the court to rule on the injunction prior to this Sunday, when Monmouth Park has said it plans to open its sports book to live wagers.

The sports leagues have already filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s latest plan to offer sports bets, through a directive signed by Gov. Chris Christie six weeks ago that was supported by state legislation passed last week. Supporters of sports betting in New Jersey say this latest strategy will hold up in court, even though two federal courts have already said that sports betting in the state would violate federal law.

The request for injunction filed by the leagues states that sports wagering in New Jersey is “in clear and flagrant violation of federal law.”

Though New Jersey has said its racetracks and casinos may offer sports wagering, Monmouth is the only facility that has plans to implement it.