Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-476_dbfi.pdf
Page Number: 9.0

Cite as:  584 U. S. ____ (2018) 

5 

Opinion of the Court 

advertise, promote, license, or authorize by law or compact 
. . .  a  lottery,  sweepstakes,  or  other  betting,  gambling,  or 
wagering  scheme  based  . . .  on”  competitive  sporting 
events.  §3702(1).    In  parallel,  §3702(2)  makes  it  “unlaw­
ful”  for  “a  person  to  sponsor,  operate,  advertise,  or  pro­
mote”  those  same  gambling  schemes23—but  only  if  this  is
done  “pursuant  to  the  law  or  compact  of  a  governmental 
entity.”   PASPA does not make sports gambling a federal
crime  (and  thus  was  not  anticipated  to  impose  a  signifi­
cant  law  enforcement  burden  on  the  Federal  Govern­
ment).24  Instead, PASPA allows the Attorney General, as 
well  as  professional  and  amateur  sports  organizations,  to 
bring civil actions to enjoin violations.  §3703.

At  the  time  of  PASPA’s  adoption,  a  few  jurisdictions 
allowed some form of sports gambling.  In Nevada, sports
gambling  was  legal  in  casinos,25  and  three  States  hosted 
sports lotteries or allowed sports pools.26  PASPA contains 
“grandfather”  provisions  allowing  these  activities  to  con­
tinue.  §3704(a)(1)–(2).  Another  provision  gave  New  Jer­
sey  the  option  of  legalizing  sports  gambling  in  Atlantic 
City—provided  that  it  did  so  within  one  year  of  the  law’s 

—————— 

as “a State, a political subdivision of a State, or an entity or organiza­
tion . . . that has governmental authority within the territorial bounda­
ries of the United States.”  28 U. S. C. §3701(2). 

23 PASPA does not define the term “scheme.”  The United States has 
not  offered  a  definition  of  the  term  but  suggests  that  it  encompasses
only those forms of gambling having some unspecified degree of organi­
zation or structure.  See Brief for United States as Amicus Curiae 28– 
29.  For convenience, we will use the term “sports gambling” to refer to 
whatever forms of sports gambling fall within PASPA’s reach. 

24 The Congressional Budget Office estimated that PASPA would not 
require the appropriation of any federal funds.  S. Rep. No. 102–248, at 
10. 

25 Ibid. 
26 Ibid.; 138 Cong. Rec. 12973.