Nj going to give it a try'''''

[WAXER]

NJ voters to weigh in on legalized sports betting
By WAYNE PARRY - Dec 14, 2010 By The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey voters will be able to decide next year whether they want to legally bet on sports games as a result of action taken Monday by the state Legislature.

Votes in the state Senate and Assembly guaranteed that a referendum will appear on the November ballot asking voters whether they want to amend New Jersey's constitution by legalizing sports betting in the state.

Even if voters say yes, a federal ban on sports betting in all but four states would have to be repealed or overturned.

"Sports betting already exists in New Jersey, but only the criminals are enjoying the profits," said Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, D-Bergen. "Sports fans put billions of dollars on the line every year, regardless of its legality. A legal Atlantic City and race track-based sports book would ensure bettors are not fleeced or put in harm's way."

The ballot question would read:

"Shall the amendment to Article IV, Section VII, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, agreed to by the Legislature, providing that it shall be lawful for the Legislature to authorize by law wagering at casinos or gambling houses in Atlantic City and at current or former running and harness horse racetracks on the results of professional, certain college, or amateur sport or athletic events, be approved?"

An interpretive statement that would appear beneath the ballot question says: "A 'yes' vote on this question would allow the Legislature, when permitted by federal law, to legalize the placing of bets on certain sports events at casinos, racetracks, and former racetrack sites. Currently, federal law only permits this type of betting in Nevada and Delaware. It also occurs through illegal betting operations. If legalized in New Jersey, bets could be placed on professional, college, or amateur sports or athletic events, except that bets could not be placed on any college sports or athletic event that takes place in New Jersey or in which a New Jersey college team is playing."

A 1992 federal law restricts sports betting to the four states that met a deadline to sign up for it: Nevada, where Las Vegas sports books determine the odds for sporting events across the country; Delaware; Montana; and Oregon. Montana and Oregon do not currently offer sports betting.

The law carved out a special exemption for New Jersey, giving it a chance to decide if it wanted legal sports betting. But the state failed to enact a law that would have done so, and the exemption window closed.

A lawsuit filed by state State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, argues that the U.S. law is unconstitutional because it treats four states differently from the 46 others.

The New Jersey Assembly also passed measures Monday that would allow Internet wagering by out-of-state residents on horse racing and expand off-track wagering.

It also passed a bill to authorize exchange wagering on results of in-state and out-of-state horse races. Exchange wagering is a form of betting in which two or more people place opposing wagers on the outcome of a horse race. Exchange wagering allows a bettor to wager on a selected outcome occurring and another bettor to wager on that same outcome not occurring.

It is popular in Great Britain and Australia.

The Assembly also passed bills to allow racetrack permit holders to provide a single pari-mutuel pool for each horse race and to allow casinos and out-of-state racetracks to negotiate the amount casinos will pay for simulcast races.

About half the measures have passed both houses and now await Gov. Chris Christie's signature. The others go to the state Senate for action.

[HoosierDaddy23]

atlantic city could def. use the additional income during the fall when otherwise the boardwalk is not as much of a draw as say the summer

[PHILLYBIRDS20]

boardwalk not the prob in ac besides it being a shithole. Philly and delaware have casinos now which hits iac in the purse as many of the people just take a bus or drive to philly or delaware inststead of ac

[revnecro1273]

i do believe it won't be possible because there isn't a federal grandfather clause for them

[revnecro1273]

ah...it does state that in the article...didn't read it until after i posted