SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
New Jersey is on the cusp of having a fully legal sports betting framework, after its legislature voted unanimously to pass a bill that will regulate and tax sports betting at casinos and racetracks in the State.
The decision now rests with the State’s Governor, Phil Murphy who is in a position where he must give final confirmation prior to the opening of sports betting in the region.
Despite the eagerness of betting operators to see the bill go through, major sports leagues will be more reluctant to see it pass, specifically as it doesn’t cater for their highly prized integrity fee or anti-fraud measures.
Murphy is yet to react to the vote, however issuing a statement on Thursday, the office of governor Murphy emphasised how much support he had for sports betting: “Governor Murphy looks forward to closely reviewing the sports betting legislation that was recently passed by the Legislature. The Governor has long been supportive of New Jersey’s right to allow sports betting and he wants to ensure that the proposed regulatory scheme is fair and reasonable.”
The news comes after Delaware’s swift progress earlier in the week, that saw the State move quickly to become the first US State outside of Nevada to offer legal sports betting for approximately 70 years.
Furthermore, to add to the anticipation of the decision, it comes as the sporting world looks ahead to the commencing of the FIFA World Cup as well as the National Basketball Association finals approaching. Leaving the State’s punters with an abundance of potential betting opportunities.
