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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have made his state the first in the U.S. to re-introduce online gambling.
The bill would have allowed New Jersey residents to place bets through websites run by casino companies in Atlantic City. State legislatures across the country have started work on similar bills as states try to generate revenue.
The governor’s counsel’s office told lawmakers he vetoed the bill Thursday morning.
In a press conference before the veto was made public, Christie said he would veto the bill if he had legal or constitutional questions. “I’ve got to make sure that if I were to sign something like that that it would both be legal and constitutional,” he said.
Lawmakers supporting the bill said they were confident they could tweak the proposal to get it in shape for the governor’s signature. “I know we’re going to be able to get it done,” said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, a Union County Democrat and prime sponsor of the bill.
Update and Gambling community reaction coming soon.
