New Jersey Officials Seek Federal Approval For Sports Betting
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - Proponents of sports betting in the Garden State are wasting no time in working on their goal, now that voters have given them the green light to proceed.
State Senator Raymond Lesniak will introduce a bill today that, if approved, would permit the New Jersey Casino Control Commission to begin issuing sports betting licenses to casinos and race tracks.
He's hoping to get the measure passed and on Governor Chris Christie's desk before the end of the year.
"As soon as he signs it, the Attorney General can go into court and seek a declaratory judgment that this federal ban that discriminates against the state of New Jersey is unconstitutional."
That ban bars sports betting in all but four states, Delaware being one of them. The prohibition could also be lifted by an act of Congress, and there are efforts on that front as well.
Lesniak hopes to have legalized sports betting in place by next fall.
Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060
