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Supreme Court legalizes sports betting, where Arizona stands

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A Supreme Court decision Monday to legalize sports betting nationwide overturns a 1992 law and now puts sports betting in the hands of each state to decide whether to legalize the gambling. 

The American Gaming Associationstating in part: "Today's decision is a victory for the millions of Americans who seek to bet on sports in a safe and regulated manner."

Legislatures in each state will now have the power to decide whether to make sports betting legal. 

Governor Doug Ducey tweeting about the announcement as 'positive news' stating, "We have been working on a modernized gaming compact. This ruling gives Arizona options that could benefit our citizens and our general fund.

A local bar owner says a big driver of sports viewership is gambling. 

"I think it makes a lot of sense everyone can bet wherever they want," said David Musso, owner of Mulligans. "You can do it online, you can find lots of other ways to do it so minds well get the money for the state and help pay for the teachers and I'm sure we can find some use for that."

The Arizona Department of Gaming stated: 

"Today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), offering a path for interested states to pursue sports betting. Arizona, like most states, will not see immediate changes and sports betting will remain illegal unless further action is taken at the state level. The Arizona Department of Gaming currently is reviewing this morning’s SCOTUS decision."