New Jersey Sports Betting Bill Flies Through Committees

USA gambling news has received a report stating that the intrastate sports betting bill S-3113 from Ray Lesniak continues to enjoy rapid progress through all legislative committees as it gets closer to the final floor vote.

The bill was signed off by a Senate panel this Thursday, and is now ready to make its way to the House for debate and possibly a vote as early as next week. The bill is expected to be the necessary amendment to American gambling laws, which will allow legal sports betting in New Jersey.

Once out of the House the bill will appear in the Senate, and Lesniak is highly optimistic he can drag the measure through the Senate before the holiday break with a vote around December 15.

Following the vote, Gov. Chris Christie will be required to support the will of the Legislature and the electorate and allow the measure, or exercise his veto rights and throw the bill out.

The intrastate sports betting was confirmed in a November 8 referendum of state residents, read more in our Intrastate Sports Betting in New Jersey Approved by Voters article.

Following the referendum Lesniak launched a new bill, which potentially could bring the state into a confrontation with federal government. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 currently restricts sports betting to a limited number of selected states.

This week Lesniak told the media that his new bill possesses the potential to generate significant tax revenues for the state coffers and its troubled former gambling Mecca of Atlantic City.

Passing the bill, allowing online sportsbooks in United States will be worthwhile, Lesniak argues, even if it will ultimately be necessary to confront federal legislation like the PASPA in the courts.

Lesniak said: “All the studies we’ve seen show that of all the hundreds of millions of dollars in wagers this will generate, 70 percent of that will come through the internet.”