Legislature Approves Sports Betting, Off-Track Wagers at Restaurants and Bars

Gov. Chris Christie is expected to sign off on three bills passed by the state Senate and Assembly Monday which amend the state constitution to allow for sports betting at New Jersey casinos and horse tracks and off-track wagering at bars and restaurants, according to a report by The Trentonian.

However, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the federal law prohibiting sports wagering in all but four states, would have to be overturned before any bets could be placed on professional or collegiate games.

"These votes, by both houses of the legislature and the voters of New Jersey, mark the beginning of the end of the inequitable federal ban on sports betting," , told the Trentonian.

Bill A4385 establishes sports betting, A4285 allows for racetrack owners or lessees to set up off-track wagering on horse races at qualified bars and restaurants, and S3185 gives businesses planning to offer off-track betting a year from the day they place a $1 million deposit to complete their plans or surrender the deposit.

The New Jersey Racing Commission's pilot program will allow licenses for off-track betting on simulcasted races to be issued for up to 12 bars or restaurants in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Union, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex, and northern Middlesex and Ocean counties.

No licenses will be awarded to businesses in close proximity to existing or planned race tracks, so with and nearby, there is zero chance of betting terminals arriving elsewhere in Monmouth County.

The bills and statements which break them down are available on the State Legislature's website.