According to a report, a New Jersey senate committee has thrown its support behind the possibility of an amendment to the state constitution to allow legalized gambling on professional and college sports at state casinos and

racetracks.

An article yesterday on northjersey.com conveyed that gambling on the professional and collegiate games would be legalized, but stipulated that any measure passed in Trenton would prohibit wagers on collegiate sporting events in New Jersey and on any games featuring New Jersey college teams, regardless of location.

State senator Ray Lesniak was cited as saying that he hopes to have the full senate take up the bill February 22. The article did indicate that Lesniak said the bill could be amended to limit sports betting at the tracks. The article states that the committee did discuss the possibility of the tracks only being able to offer the legalized sports wagering when the tracks were hosting programs of live racing and not during strictly simulcasting times.

The article also quoted Lesniak as saying that the Atlantic City casinos interests “have to wake up to the fact that there are other parts of the state interested in benefiting from gambling in the state, including Monmouth (home of Monmouth Park racetrack) and Bergen.”

There is currently a U.S. federal ban in place on sports wagering. The only states exempted are Nevada, which can offer single-match wagering, and Delaware, Montana and Oregon, which can legally offer limited parlay wagering on sporting matches.

(With files from northjersey.com)