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The Bill to Okay Sports Betting on New Jersey’s College Teams Advances
By Jeff Osienya May 06, 2021 LegalityNew Jersey Assembly panel green lights a bill to approve betting on in-state college sports teams. According to some lawmakers, the college sports betting expansion question could make its way to the ballot as soon as November 2021.Last fall, lawmakers in New Jersey moved to pursue the legalization of betting on local collegiate sports teams to expand gaming in the state further and collect more revenue for state coffers. The Senate Budget Committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of the expansion, and now, months later, the bill has taken another big step forward.
On Wednesday, the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee panel voted in favor of the constitutional amendment like their counterparts in the Senate. Before this endorsement, the collegiate sports betting expansion bill had been gathering dust in the legislature without a hearing for nearly half a year.
From the look of things, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on retail gaming facilities was one of the motivators that pushed the Assembly panel to advance the bill. After the latest progress of the collegiate sports betting expansion bill, Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling pointed out why they okayed it in a statement as follows:
Quote“Time has proved that this has been a very beneficial bill. It has gone on without any problems – or none that we know of. And I think it’s been run very, very well. So, we thought the time was right now to include college sports for sports betting. And I think it will also be a big boon for casinos, the racetracks and those venues that are kind of really struggling now.”
Assemblyman Houghtaling is a Democratic representative of the 11th Legislative District in the Garden State’s Assembly. He also added that his fellow lawmakers were exceptionally cautious with how they handled collegiate sports betting when the activity was first okayed but at a limited capacity. Their plan all along was to revisit the subject depending on what the future had in store for the activity. He said:
Quote“A lot of people had a problem with that being included, so we didn’t put it in the original bill. But sports betting in New Jersey has been very successful since then, and it’s time. New Jersey is picking up its level of play in college sports, and this would shine a greater spotlight on it.”
The Final Decision Will Likely Be Made by New Jersey Voters This November
Betting on collegiate sports in the Garden State is legal, but sports bettors can only wager on games that don’t involve New Jersey teams and events taking place out of the state. However, with the recent developments, lawmakers are now looking to give locals a fully-fledged college betting menu without restrictions.
Ultimately, given that the state constitution has to be amended, the final decision-making is at the hands of voters in the state. While the progress for this bill has been somewhat slow, lawmakers are confident that the matter has gained enough momentum and will likely be addressed on the ballot come November 2021.
Commenting on the potential for a November vote, Senator Paul Sarlo, a Democratic Party representative of the 36th District, said:
Quote“A lot of money is being left on the table for college betting, a lot of money. Sports betting has become pretty mainstream now. I’m confident we’ll have this on the ballot in 2021.”
According to an Associated Press report, when the matter is eventually taken to the November ballot, voters would be met with a question that reads: “Do you approve amending the Constitution to permit wagering through casinos and current or former horse racetracks on all college sport or athletic events? Currently, wagering is prohibited on college sport or athletic events that take place in New Jersey. Wagering is also prohibited on an event in which a team from a New Jersey college participates.”
Part of the follow up interpretive statement for the question that will be brought to the ballot reads: “This amendment would allow the Legislature to pass laws permitting wagering on any college sport or athletic event. It would permit wagering even if a New Jersey college team participates in the competition. Such wagering would be permitted only through casinos and current or former horse racetracks.”
New Jersey continues to dominate the US sports betting market by obliterating previous records. It will surely be interesting to see how much of an impact this expansion will have for the state’s sports betting industry at large.
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