TRENTON – By a vote of 35-2, the Senate this evening approved legislation allowing licensed casinos in Atlantic City and racetracks throughout the state to operate sports wagering pools on professional and collegiate sporting events.
“Today’s legislative action represents the latest step in ensuring that the will of the people of New Jersey is expressed, and that we’re not going to sit back while Las Vegas and other gaming jurisdictions get all the benefits of an unfair and arbitrary ban on sports betting,” said state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-20, a co-sponsor of the bill.
“This bill would correct a decades old mistake, and would allow New Jersey to begin implementing sports wagering operations which would create new jobs, incentivize new economic activity in a recovering gaming sector, and create new tax revenues for the State. It would also position us to topple an unfair federal ban on sports wagering which is costing our State while boosting the gaming economy in Las Vegas, where sports wagering is exempt from the ban.”
“After years of working to legalize sports wagering – moving it through one house only to have it stall in the other – it’s rewarding to see the finish line finally within reach,” said Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May (D-1), who sponsored the sports wagering bill in the Assembly before working with Senator Lesniak in the Senate.
“Sports wagering has transformational potential for Atlantic city’s casinos and New Jersey’s horse tracks, and will help make New Jersey the premiere gaming destination on the East Coast,” the senator added. “I’m proud to have worked on this legislation every step of the way, and I’m looking forward to sports wagering finally being the law of the land in the Garden State.”
S-3113 would allow for casinos, racetracks and joint partnerships between casinos, racetracks and/or third parties to operate sports wagering pools at the State’s casinos or racetracks.
The bill would allow people over the age of 21 to place a bet on a sporting event in-person at special lounges created in casinos, racetracks or at the site of a former racetrack with the State of New Jersey. The bill would not permit wagers to be placed on college games that take place in New Jersey or on any game in which a New Jersey college team participates, regardless of where in the country the game takes place.
