Atlantic City casinos closer to legal sports betting

The New Jersey Assembly approved Thursday asking voters to legalize sports betting in the Atlantic City casinos.

Atlantic City casinos closer to legal sports betting Sports betting on professional and college games in the Atlantic City casinos is getting closer to a fact, although the road ahead remains long. On Thursday the NJ Assembly approved the bill to ask voters to legalize professional sports betting in the Atlantic City casinos, a big victory for the gambling industry in New Jersey. If approved by the Legislature and the governor, the question would be placed to voters as a question on the November general election ballot.

Still, legal sports betting in Atlantic City goes against federal law, which allows it in only four states - Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon, and only in Nevada is betting on pro and college games approved. "It may be the legal equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, but fighting for legalized pro sports gaming is a play New Jersey can't afford to pass up," said Assemblyman Lou Greenwal (D-Camden), and Sen. Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic) added: "The big obstacle to making it a reality, though, is the federal ban on sports betting for New Jersey, which won't go away just by our passing a bill."

If sports betting is legalized in the state of New Jersey, many hope that it will help to wipe out the increasing illegal bookmakers, considering that estimates put the illegal sports betting in the U.S. at around $350 billion per year.

Naturally, the biggest opposition to legal sports betting in Atlantic City comes from the NFL. "It's bad policy because it turns human players into roulette chips with the sanction of the state," said NFL attorney David H. Remes. The NFL vowed to continue fighting the bill.

Published on 02/08/2008