After online gambling had been legalized by the Department of Justice of the United States, there was another bill that was put to the state legislature. This is the legislation that aims horse race betting to be put on the menu at bars and restaurants. The State Senate and the Assembly committees of New Jersey considered the legislation that would create a pilot program in the state’s northern countries and part of Ocean country. The electronic wagering terminals would be placed in venues that serve food and alcohol, typically for men who enjoy their gamble with a good drink and smoke with friends and betting buddies.
However, if the measure did pass, there would only be a limited amount of bars, restaurants and other similar establishments that would be granted the license of creating mini-off-track wagering sites. The creation of these sites would allow customers to place bets on horse races. The condition however would be, gamblers can only bet on horse races that would be run at state-owned tracks. The current law for OTW provides 15 facilities, but once this would pass, the states would probably expand this numbers.
Apart from that, the state Senate and Assembly adopted a bill that would let New Jerseyans place bets at the 11 Atlantic City casinos and the state’s four horse racing tracks on football, baseball, basketball and other professional or college sports games. However, placing bets on games involving New Jersey collegiate teams would not be allowed.
Meanwhile, following suit to the legalization of online gambling, State Senator Raymond Lesniak told news agencies that he would try to get a bill legalizing online gambling within New Jersey borders. The said bill would be passed to State Governor Chris Christie by next week. The bill was said to aim in turning New Jersey into a national leader to online gambling, a high aspiration set due to the fact that states were able to legalize it themselves.
According to the Department of Justice, “states and their lotteries will be permitted to enable online gambling for local residents, excluding sports betting. In a new interpretation of the federal Wire Act, it said this only prevents gamblers from wagering on sports but does not prevent betting on casino games, poker and similar activities.”
Most states were looking forward to the legalization of online gambling because of the tax they would earn from it. Nevada already looked at the possibility of being the first state of legalizing online gambling within its borders.
Other states, such as California and Iowa, also considered laws to legalize online gambling at a state level. Once the facilities would be set up, this could easily be adapted to accept betting from interstate, but that is if the US would allow it. Currently, no statements were released regarding interstate gambling.
[Source: Online Casino Reports]
