Sports Betting in New Jersey May Have to Wait Until June
Monmouth Park. Credit: The LinkNews
The Highlights:
- As of Tuesday, Monmouth Park Racetrack was aiming to open its sports betting operation on May 28.
- A new sports betting bill states that no sports betting can take place until the state passes complete legislation.
- The start date for sports betting in New Jersey now appears to be sometime in early June.
Earlier this week, New Jersey's Monmouth Park Racetrack announced that it would be targeting May 28 as its first day accepting legal sports bets. The original plan included converting the exisiting William Hill Sports Bar into a sportsbook in order to be ready by Memorial Day.
However, a new bill introduced to the state Senate requires New Jersey's casinos and racetracks to wait until regulations are established before they'll be permitted to take wagers on sports.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney does hope to have these regulations in place within the next month.
"We're moving quickly with legislation. I'm hopeful we should be ready by early June. Everyone should respect the legislative process rather than jumping out," Sweeney told NJ.com.
As for Monmouth Park, operator Dennis Drazin explained that he wasn't aware of the caveat in the bill, but would comply with it.
"I have not spoken to the Senate president yet," Drazin added. "But I have said all along and I have said to the Senate president that I would go along with the legislative process. So I would comply."
The New Jersey State Assembly is scheduled for another vote on May 24, with the Senate's June 7 voting session as the next target for the bill.
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