Murphy v. NCAA
Citation
584 U.S. 453 (2018)
Facts
New Jersey sought to legalize sports gambling, but the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) prohibited states from authorizing sports gambling schemes. New Jersey argued that PASPA unconstitutionally commandeered state legislatures by dictating what they could and could not do.
Issue
Whether PASPA’s prohibition on state authorization of sports gambling violates the anti-commandeering doctrine of the Tenth Amendment.
Holding
The Supreme Court struck down PASPA as unconstitutional, holding that it violated the anti-commandeering doctrine.
Rule
Congress may not dictate what state legislatures may or may not do; the anti-commandeering doctrine extends to prohibitions on state action, not just affirmative commands requiring states to act.