Sports betting hopes to enter New Jersey as live betting giant William Hill secures a deal to potentially operate a sports book at Monmouth Park if a federal.
Pay per head sports betting is eagerly awaiting a federal decision that would allow the Garden state to accept sports wagers in a Las Vegas style sportsbook at the track. New Jersey is currently challenging a recent ruling made by Judge Shipp earlier this year.
The federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 currently only allows 4 states to accept wagers on sports, and Nevada is the leader accepting more than 3.4 billion in live bets last year alone.
A June 26 hearing in the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals will hopefully result in a fair ruling for New Jersey. On Monday, four other states filed “amici curiae briefs” focusing on forcing federal policy, which is protected by the constitution, and a violation of the state’s sovereignty. The states are Georgia, Kansas, Virginia and West Virginia.
In the meantime, William Hill is set to become the title sponsor of the $1 million Haskell Invitational horse race on July 28th.
“One day sports betting will be legal in New Jersey. When it is, William Hill will be there,” William Hill US CEO Joe Asher commented. “In the meantime, we are really excited to sponsor the William Hill Haskell Invitational, one of the America’s great races for three-year-olds at one of America’s great racetracks.”
“We anticipate sports betting coming to New Jersey and bringing Las Vegas-style sports betting to Monmouth Park,” New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Advisor Dennis Drazin said.
Over two thirds of New Jersey residents support live sports betting in the state and Asher believes that the leagues currently pitted against the change will one day change their minds.
“The sports leagues are going to have to rethink their view on legalization of sports betting,” Asher told The Linemakers on Sporting News. “I think it’s a massive revenue opportunity for the leagues. I assume that they’re discussing it internally. These people who run extremely profitable businesses and who have done a very good job of building these businesses … I have no doubt they’re thinking about these issues as well.”
