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The Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey is set to launch its new sportsbook this upcoming weekend and it will be run by the biggest daily fantasy sports company, FanDuel.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural said during a phone call to Play NJ. “I have no idea what to expect, to be honest with you.”
The Meadowlands is located just a few miles outside of New York City but typically takes between a half hour and 45 minutes by train or automobile depending on the day and time.
The Meadowlands Rail Line is the best way to travel to football games and major events at MetLife Stadium for many in the Big Apple. Taking the train to the Frank R. Lautenberg Rail Station at Secaucus Junction can get some folks there in a mere 10 minutes, assuming they happen to reside right by Penn Station.
The Meadowlands Racetrack currently uses the services of Paddy Power/Betfair, but that company is in the process of purchasing FanDuel. The sportsbook will be branded as FanDuel. It is prohibited from taking bets on Rutgers and Seton Hall games but will be able to accept bets on the Giants and Jets, both of which play at the nearby stadium.
“We look at it like we have this unique opportunity that’s not going to last forever,” Gural said of sports betting. “We’re the only place you can go in the city of New York, Westchester, northern New Jersey, to legally make a bet. We figured we should get up and running as soon as we could.
“I guarantee you, you walk around England or Ireland or these other places, there are betting parlors all over the place. Here you have, I think someone said, 12 million people living within 20 miles, and the only place they can go and make a bet is to the Meadowlands.”
LIVE IN-PLAY betting will not be available. Sports bettors can suplement wagering at the Meadowlands track with that of any number of internationally licensed online sportsbooks that do offer LIVE IN-PLAY and player prop betting.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
