New Jersey Voters Support Sports Betting Measure

New Jersey voters came out heavily in support of legalized sports betting, showing overwhelming support for a measure designed to make a statement about the desires of the state’s residents.

With most precincts reporting, approximately 65% of voters had voted in favor of allowing New Jersey casinos and race tracks to offer sports betting – provided that the federal government repealed laws currently restricting sports betting to just four states.

"New Jersey voters have sent Congress a message that its law which has allowed sports betting in Las Vegas, but not in Atlantic City, is unfair," said State Senator Raymond Lesniak.

The current state of sports betting in the United States is the result of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. That bill left a one year window in which states that already had casino gambling for at least a decade – namely, New Jersey – to pass laws that would allow for sports betting in their states.

However, New Jersey did not pass such legislation, thus shutting themselves out of the sports betting industry. That left only Nevada able to allow betting on individual games, while Oregon, Delaware and Montana were permitted to continue offering sports lotteries. For instance, Delaware offers parlay betting on NFL football games, but does not allow betting on single games.

Lesniak has announced that he will push forward with legislation that would put in place a framework for sports betting in New Jersey. The bill would be fast-tracked through the state’s legislature, and hopefully be signed into law before the end of the current legislative session.

According to supporters of the bill, the sports betting industry is large, but currently restricted to illegal bookies and offshore online gambling sites. Allowing a legal alternative would bring in significant income, while also keeping the sports betting industry well-regulated.

Perhaps the strongest opposition to legalized sports betting has come from the major sports leagues themselves. The National Football League and others fear that an increase in sports betting could lower public confidence in the integrity of games.