NJ Governor Corzine wants legalized gambling in all US States
N.J. Gov. Corzine says allowing sports betting in just 4 states unfair
Faced with the threat of Delaware’s reactivation of sports betting, New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine is now seeking to join a federal lawsuit that would make the industry legal in the state of New Jersey and 46 others.
Delaware signed legislation into law last month legalizing sports betting, which under a federal law in 1992 was banned in all but four states (Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon.)
“Delaware’s entry into sports wagering and table games is a serious threat to both the casino and horse racing industries in New Jersey,” Corzine said. “We must do everything in our power to stay competitive. We simply cannot afford to sit back and let neighboring states press an unfair advantage against us anytime, and certainly not in the midst of this global economic crisis.”
Corzine plans to join a lawsuit filed in March by Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, which seeks to overturn the federal ban.
“The federal government’s prohibition on sports betting for some but not all states is fundamentally unfair,” Corzine said. “There should be uniformity in the application of federal law. If one state is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity.”
The industry, if legalized, could bring in as much as $10 billion annually for New Jersey and could generate $100 million in revenue, by some estimates, the Governor’s Office reported.
The reactivation of sports betting in Delaware, which last had it in the 1970s, is expected to generate $50 million in revenue, helping to fill a projected $750 million or more budget shortfall next fiscal year.
Sports betting is expected to begin by fall in Delaware, whose three racinos would become the only venues east of the Mississippi River with legal sports betting.
Faced with the threat of Delaware’s reactivation of sports betting, New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine is now seeking to join a federal lawsuit that would make the industry legal in the state of New Jersey and 46 others.
Delaware signed legislation into law last month legalizing sports betting, which under a federal law in 1992 was banned in all but four states (Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon.)
“Delaware’s entry into sports wagering and table games is a serious threat to both the casino and horse racing industries in New Jersey,” Corzine said. “We must do everything in our power to stay competitive. We simply cannot afford to sit back and let neighboring states press an unfair advantage against us anytime, and certainly not in the midst of this global economic crisis.”
Corzine plans to join a lawsuit filed in March by Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, which seeks to overturn the federal ban.
“The federal government’s prohibition on sports betting for some but not all states is fundamentally unfair,” Corzine said. “There should be uniformity in the application of federal law. If one state is allowed to legalize betting on sports events, all states should be allowed the same opportunity.”
The industry, if legalized, could bring in as much as $10 billion annually for New Jersey and could generate $100 million in revenue, by some estimates, the Governor’s Office reported.
The reactivation of sports betting in Delaware, which last had it in the 1970s, is expected to generate $50 million in revenue, helping to fill a projected $750 million or more budget shortfall next fiscal year.
Sports betting is expected to begin by fall in Delaware, whose three racinos would become the only venues east of the Mississippi River with legal sports betting.