Horse racing enthusiasts who live in New Jersey are one step closer to being able to place a wager on a race in the state even though they may be outside of its borders under legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Dancer and unanimously approved by the General Assembly on Monday, January 28.
“Devoted fans of horse racing will be able to enjoy the most exciting two minutes in sports in New Jersey even though they may briefly be outside the state,” said Dancer, R-Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth and Middlesex. “This legislation allows an authorized account wagering licensee in the state to accept a New Jersey resident’s bet, just as they do now, even though that person may be away on business or vacation.
“Advances in technology no longer necessitate that a resident be physically present to experience racing in New Jersey,” explained Dancer. “This is an opportunity to expand on the capabilities of existing account wagering system, add more convenience to the process and keep New Jersey’s horse racing industry competitive with other states.”
Dancer’s bill, A-2914, stipulates that the jurisdiction of where a New Jersey resident would place a wager on the result of a horse race must be consistent with the law of that jurisdiction or with federal law. Current law only allows New Jersey residents to use the account wagering system while they are within the state.
The State's horse racing industry provides 13,000 jobs to care for 42,000 horses on 7,200 farms that comprise 176,000 open space acres for a $1 billion industry of economic, environmental and entertainment values.
Assemblyman John Burzichelli is the other sponsor of the bipartisan legislation.
(NJ Assembly Republicans)