Sportsbetting in New Jersey is a longshot, but a play worth making

We urge New Jersey citizens, active bettors and plain ‘ol folk alike to get out in November and Vote YES to the sportsbetting referendum. Passage of the referendum will, “send a strong message to Congress and the courts that they can’t play favorites.”

New Jersey citizens will have the opportunity to weigh in on a referendum that will appear on the November ballot asking voters whether they want to amend New Jersey’s constitution by legalizing sports betting in the state.

A recent poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 53% of New Jersey voters support allowing legal sports betting at Atlantic City’s casinos and at the state’s horse tracks. So the odds appear to be in favor of the measure receiving public approval. But the big hurdle will be to overturn the Federal ban on sports wagering that currently exists. Only Nevada and Delaware currently offer sports betting, with Delaware being severely limited by previous law.

But New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak has decided that fighting the current Federal ban is a shot worth taking. He is one of the leaders of this movement and has taken on something that we have been hearing on our phone lines and seeing in our emal box for years. “How come I can go to Las Vegas and bet on sports but I can’t do it in my state or from the comfort of my own home,” has been a consistent question to us for over 10 years. In the U.S. all states are supposed to be able to offer goods and services equally, if one state is permitted. States can simply make their own laws to prohibit or allow the activity or goods. However, sports betting is one of the only glaring exceptions.

Senator Lesniak recently told us that passage of the referendum will, “send a strong message to Congress and the courts that they can’t play favorites and allow sports betting in Nevada and deny it to the State of New Jersey.”

Overturning the federal ban on sports betting is a bit of a longshot; the state will most likely have to bring suit against the Fed to get the right to offer this service to their citizens. This is a bet, that if it wins, will be huge not just for New Jersey, but also for sports bettors everywhere. This bold move by New Jersey will force the Fed to allow gambling on sports in all 50 states. States can then make their own decisions.

However, if all of this comes to fruition, New Jersey will be the first. Senator Lesniak added, “Sports betting will be a huge boost to our casinos, racetracks and tourism.” The added tax revenue was one of the reasons this was originally looked at and an overturn will certainly give a boost to the ailing Atlantic City casino industry. Sports bettors in the East will be able to travel to New Jersey and wager legally, collect on the spot if they win, and then head back home.

We urge New Jersey citizens, active bettors and plain ‘ol folk alike to get out in November and Vote YES to the sportsbetting referendum. In fact, the movement has its own website sportsvoteyes.com. Here people can find out what the issues are, check out a sample ballot and even register to vote.

Players in New Jersey are obviously encouraged to get out and vote. But anyone who plays and has a relative or friend in New Jersey should contact them and ask them to get out and Vote Yes too! After all, it not just about the betting, it is also about what is right. And, it’s about time that a solid longshot pays off.

Administrator
ADMINISTRATOR
PROFILE

Posts Carousel

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

Latest Posts

Top Authors

Most Commented

Featured Videos