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Assembly Bill 817, which would permit "in-person wagering at casinos on results of professional sports events, subject to voter approval," was held until Thursday for a committee vote. The full Senate is expected to vote on the bill June 21, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The opposition came, not from the NFL, but from mega casino company Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., which also runs the World Series of Poker. Harrah's asked for more time to oppose.
"I am really astonished at Harrah's that they would continue to fight against New Jersey's interests in order to protect their monopoly in Nevada on sports betting," said Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D., Union), who is pushing for the legislation. "They have no shame to openly fight against New Jersey and our needs for additional revenues for their own corporate greed."
But Harrah's appeared to be denying these reports, saying they were only opposed to the sports betting element.
"Harrah's is absolutely not delaying a sports-betting bill in New Jersey," Marybel Batjer, vice president of public policy and communications, said in an e-mail from Las Vegas. "The entire New Jersey Casino Association opposes Internet and sports betting. The letter the association sent Tuesday to the Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee specifically addressed sports betting."
Under the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, only Nevada, Montana, Oregon, and Delaware are permitted to offer some form of sports betting.
Gambling911.com Staff
