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Originally Posted by Bluto Blutarsky
Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a bill Monmouth Park officials hoped would spur the legalization of sports betting in New Jersey.
Bill S-2250 sponsored by Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, and Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, R-Ocean, would have partially repealed prohibitions against sports wagering at racetracks and casinos in the state. The logic had racetrack and casino operators then opening sports books that could take bets without federal interference.
Christie attached comments to the bill in which he said he is “open to exploring legally sound ways to let the state’s casinos and racetracks offer sports wagering.’’
He called the pending legislation “a novel attempt to circumvent the Third Circuit court’s ruling’’ that federal law prevented implementation of New Jersey’s 2012 law authorizing sports wagering.
“Ignoring federal law, rather than working to reform federal standards, is counter to our democratic traditions and inconsistent with the Constitutional values I have sworn to defend and protect,’’ he said.
The veto marks a dead end to several years of efforts on sports betting, and could threaten Monmouth Park’s sponsorship deal with United Kingdom bookmaker William Hill.
Track officials say William Hill has given Monmouth Park $1 million during the past two years for sponsorship of the Haskell Invitational. Part of the deal includes building out and operating a Las Vegas-style sports book in exchange for 50 percent of the profits from it upon legalization of sports betting.
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Gov. Chris Christie explained his veto perfectly, I don't see what all the noise is about. This has nothing to do with money from donors or anything else except what the Gov. stated.