[emanning]

does anyone know why there is no sprtsbooks at the AC casino's? will there ever be any?

[magnavox]

does anyone know why there is no sprtsbooks at the AC casino's? will there ever be any?

In 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was passed by Congress, banning sports wagering in all states that didn't already offer it. New Jersey was given a one-year window to pass a law permitting sports betting. New Jersey voters were denied the opportunity to vote on a referendum concerning this issue due to political wrangling by legislators who feared the impact the referendum would have on the gubernatorial election of 1993 (Whitman vs. Florio).

Since then, many have considered this a dead issue. Others refuse to give up hope for the legalization of this pervasive form of (otherwise illegal) gambling. Last month, the NJ Assembly Appropriations Committee passed a measure calling for a referendum on sports betting. Leading the charge for the bill is its co-sponsor, Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May), who believes the federal sports betting prohibition is worthy of a challenge.

Van Drew is the chair of the Assembly Tourism and Gaming Committee, where the bill was first considered after being introduced in November of 2004. The bill passed through his committee and then was referred to Appropriations. The next stop for the bill would be a vote on the floor of the Assembly, but Van Drew isn't yet certain when that will happen. "I would certainly hope relatively soon, but I have not heard from the Speaker on that," says Van Drew, referring to Assembly Speaker Albio Spires (D-Hudson), who happens to be one of the bill's co-sponsors.

Van Drew adds that he's confident about the bill's chances in the Assembly, but less sure about the measure's fate in the Senate. State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), who chairs the Senate Committee on Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation, has indicated that she would not allow the Senate's version of the bill to move through her committee. "Barbara does have concerns with it and does not want the State of New Jersey to spend any money whatsoever in any litigation process," explains Van Drew. "I told her that ... this is not about the state of New Jersey going to court over this and spending their money. This is about ... the casinos moving forward with it. ... We would not appropriate any money for that type of litigation."

On an issue as vital to the casino industry as this, why wouldn't State Sen. Bill Gormley (R-Atlantic) champion the issue on the Senate side? "I certainly wouldn't want to speak for him, but he has felt that it's a lost cause," says Van Drew.

Van Drew knows this effort is iffy at best. But he believes that, based on precedent and the opinion of legal experts with whom he's consulted, this certainly is a piece of legislation that can be overturned in the Supreme Court. "Let me be very clear ... and I always have been on this," Van Drew implores. "This is a long shot, but it's a real shot."

[emanning]

good job manavox, you must be an attorney. are you from nj? how great would it be to have sport books at AC casino's.

[ritehook]

good job manavox, you must be an attorney. are you from nj? how great would it be to have sport books at AC casino's.

What I understand from relatives in NJ is that the casinos would definitely love to have sports betting, since Philadelphia (from which AC draws a lot of casino visitors) will in the not too distant future build three slot casinos. AC needs diversification, esp since the state's racetracks are begging for the right to have slots in order to survive.

Years ago the bill to ban sports betting (except in two states where it was grandfathered in, NV and OR) was pushed by ex-NBA star Bill Bradley, then a NJ Senator. He claimed that all the professional sports franchises in NJ would leave the state if NJ opted out of the new law.

They didn't, and with competion all around now for AC (which, unlike Vegas, is nothing much, nice ocean and boardwalk but no real "experience") the state realizes it made a big mistake in listening to Bradley

I doubt anything will come of this. Tho I heard Delaware, which apparetly did opt out of the Bradley law, is thinking of putting up some sports betting houses.