Ban on New Jersey Sports Betting May Be Lifted Soon

According to a state senator, should a federal ban on sports betting in the New Jersey be reversed the state should be ready to take actions. Allow sports betting in New Jersey D-Union Senator Raymond Lesniak has stated that he will request top lawmakers in the state to unite together and rise up against a federal ban. On Monday, a Senate committee has finally granted his proposition for a constitutional amendment, permitting sports betting activities in the state. Lesniak has said that this move has placed the entire state in a position that allows them to take advantage of an amendment in the law.  He is also expecting that during the next year’s Super Bowl, the people of New Jersey will finally be able to place bets such as those in Nevada. Through the planned ballot question, the voters will be requested to support a constitutional amendment that permits betting on professional sports and even amateur sports and sports events in colleges. These cover sports played on racetracks, online casinos, and Atlantic City casinos. Lawsuit by Lesniak In March, Lesniak has filed a lawsuit that counters the federal ban restricting sports betting to only the following: Montana, Nevada, Delaware, and Oregon. In accordance with this, Lesniak is requesting the Legislature to join in the said lawsuit. According to Lesniak, the lawsuit will enable him to dispute how the ban results in the restriction of states rights, based on the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Senate President Stephen Sweeney has offered support on the action of Lesniak to ban the restriction on sports betting in the state. And although Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver has admitted that she will need more time in making considerations about the lawsuit, she has nevertheless understood its significance in bringing in the money. According to industry experts, a total of $100 million annually could be sourced from taxes on bets alone. For the current year, the budget for the state is at $29 billion. The need for legislature support Senator Lesniak has confirmed the need for the support of the Legislature due to the fact that Governor Chris Christie has not acted swiftly enough for the judicial deadline on March 12, in order to get the governor or the Legislature to follow suit. Mike Drewniak, the spokesman for Gov. Chris Christie, said that although the governor has expressed support for sports betting, he does not want to totally commit until he gets the report due for release in June from a commission used to examine the gaming and entertainment milieu in the state. Legalized sports betting has been opposed by those who aim at preventing gambling addiction within the state as well as sports leagues and groups on a national scale.