New Jersey Still Has Work to do to Make Sports Gambling a Reality

In efforts to bring in additional revenue, New Jersey wants to offer sports gambling services to its residents, however many steps still lie ahead of the ambitious plan.



With the recent support voiced by NBA chairman Adam Silver about sports gambling prospects in the US, New Jersey has taken the initial steps to move forward with the plan. Silver commented that bringing sport gambling to across many states is “inevitable” considering the possible opportunities associated with the particular industry.



However, despite passing on assurances how the future of sports incorporates gaming, the recent efforts made by New Jersey are still some way from begin completely realized. There are a number of different important elements at play and all must be considered and before any serious move forward with regards to sports gambling can happen.

New Jersey allows casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting

• Casinos and racetracks can offer sports betting in New Jersey


• Major sports events should attract tourists back to Atlantic City


• Some argue that sports betting might not have the desired effect

The casinos and racetracks in New Jersey have received a directive from the state’s acting attorney general that they are free to offer sports betting services without fear of any legal wrongdoing. As long as no bets are made on college games in the state or involving in-state college teams, gaming providers are allowed to facilitate sports gambling services.



However, the main problem lies with the fact that federal law does not permit sports betting across all of US. Under US gambling laws, only a handful of states can offer sports gambling to their residents. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act that was passed in 1992 made the betting service limited to Delaware, Oregon, Montana and Nevada.



Luckily for the state, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie still remains persistent in his objectives of trying to establish a full-scale sports betting operation. Christie and his administration have spotted a loophole in the law and aim to take advantage of it to achieve their gaming mission.



State Senator Raymond Lesniak is adamant that sports betting is set to become a reality pretty soon, taking into account the recent developments and their increased efforts in the matter.



“I believe this is the beginning of the end of the ban on sports betting across the country. It’s a little bit complicated, but I’m telling you now is the time to book your hotel rooms in Atlantic City for the Super Bowl because we are going to sell out.”

Atlantic City needs sports betting to boost its economy

Atlantic City has faced an arduous battle in recent times with its gaming economy, as they had suffered greatly by closing down numerous high-profile casinos. But with the prospect of offering sports gambling, tourists could once again flock to the city’s shores to test their luck and experience the new gaming offers.



Lesniak is convinced that people would love to come to Atlantic City for sports events like Super Bowl and the Final Four should the city offer bets on sports. “Las Vegas during the big events, you cannot get a room there. People like to be where the action is and that’s the attraction Atlantic City is missing.”



Some corners of the gaming industry have expressed cynicism about the effects that sports gambling might have. Carl Braunlich is one of the members of the gaming faculty of International Gaming Institute at UNLV, and he believes that legal sports betting might not serve as the right solution that New Jersey officials are convinced will play out well.



Braunlich indicated that Las Vegas is successful in attracting many people for big sports events, but in reality that happens only several times a year. Should New Jersey see their sports betting efforts come to fruition and be fully legalized, perhaps it will not scale up to the current expectations that many people are boasting about.



In a 2011 referendum, New Jersey residents highly expressed great support for sports gambling by voting for it with a significant margin, according to gambling news. The state’s officials including Christie signed sports betting into law in 2012, but were soon jumped on by the NCAA and big sports leagues, which lead to a court battle in which NJ lost.