New Jersey Voters Reject Amendment that would Allow Betting On State's College Teams
New Jersey voters have rejected a proposed constitutional change that would have permitted banking on all college sporting events.
Legal sports betting started in 2018 in the Garden State, but wagering on New Jersey's college teams or college sporting events happening in the state was banned from the start.
However, a proposed change to the New to permit such betting in the state was passed in June by the legislature. The change then needed approval from voters on Tuesday, after a concern about approving wagering "on all college sport or athletic occasions" was put on the ballot.
But since around 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, around 57 percent of votes counted were opposed to the change, leading NJ.com and the New York City Times to state it beaten.
The defeat will keep New Jersey gamblers from lawfully betting on teams like the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Seton Hall Pirates till 2024 at the earliest, as that's when the state constitution states a comparable modification can again be put to voters.
But changes are coming
Sports wagering has still prospered in New Jersey in simply 3 years. The state ended up being the first in the U.S. to crack $1 billion in monthly betting in September, which was more than even Nevada, the former top spot for sports wagering.
Legalizing banking on all college sports would likely have actually provided the state's deal with another boost. A fiscal quote of the proposed amendment said it would increase state revenues, albeit "by an indeterminate quantity."
Yet New Jersey's boom has benefited in part since of its next-door neighbor, New york city, taking its time in approving online sports betting in the state. As an outcome, some New York wagerers are taking their company to New Jersey.
That may not be the case for excessive longer. The New York Post reported on Tuesday that winners of mobile sports betting licenses might begin being called as early as this week, with online betting expected to begin in time for the coming Super Bowl.
A difficult sell
Another proposed amendment to New Jersey's constitution was approved by a majority of citizens during Tuesday's election, which will enable all groups that can carry out bingo or raffles to use the net proceeds from those video games for assistance.
But the odds appeared to be versus New Jersey's college betting push from the start.
A Fairleigh Dickinson University survey conducted in June found 49 percent of those it surveyed opposed banking on college sports in New Jersey. Only 25 percent remained in support of banking on college sports and the other 26 percent were either not sure or didn't wish to react.