TRENTON – Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland) today issued the following statement on the United States Supreme Court’s landmark decision to strike down the federal ban on sports betting in New Jersey. New Jersey has been in a legal battle for the past six years with five major American sports leagues and the federal government to allow sports betting in the state:
“This is an absolute monumental day for Atlantic City and New Jersey. Legalized sports betting will be a boon and a great new source of revenue for New Jersey, for Atlantic City and for the racetracks across the state.
“When I was the Assembly Chair of the Gaming and Tourism Committee, I fought hard for legalized sports betting. I scrapped for it even when the odds were against me and back when it didn’t have much support. There were a lot of people that thought this would never happen and that it would complete waste of time. Former Senator Lesniak was the other strong proponent for sports betting in New Jersey, and when I was elected to the Senate we supported one another to try and get this done.
“This decision will be particularly beneficial to Atlantic City. This result will attract more people to the city and to the casinos during large sports events like the World Series, the NBA Championships, and the Super Bowl. The business that it would bring to AC during any of these big sports events would be enormous. If sports’ betting was legal during this year’s Super Bowl, we would have seen hordes of people coming to Atlantic City to celebrate and watch the Eagles win.
“New Jersey and Atlantic City may have been the underdogs in this fight, but we have been waiting for this win and it has finally happened. I am thankful the Supreme Court has struck down the ban on sports betting in New Jersey. This will give the state, Atlantic City and the region the opportunity we deserve to continue to build upon our successes.”