As the online poker world in the US continues to reel from the Black Friday indictments the sports betting climate in one state may be about to improve if the results of a poll are anything to go by.
A report in this morning’s USA Today states that Farleigh Dickenson’s PublicMind poll found that 53% of respondents in New Jersey are in favor of allowing legal sports betting at Atlantic City casinos and the state’s horse tracks.
The result comes ahead of a referendum this November that gives residents the chance to decide whether they want legal sports betting in the state and it will be enacted through a change to the state’s constitution.
This would be the first of a number of steps that would need to be taken for it to eventually be allowed and the awkward obstacle that is a Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) would also have to be overturned before anything were to happen.
Senator Ray Lesniak is one of those railing against PASPA due to what he believes is its illegal nature and fully expects the referendum to see residents in favor of the proposals.
“I expect it will get even more support when the election takes place in November and we’re already one month into the football season — if there is a football season,” he said.
The potential of sports betting in the state is predicted to be vast, with, according to the USA Today article, one consultant explaining that sports betting could become a $10billion-a-year industry. In addition it would also generate nearly $100billion-a-year in tax revenues.
The remaining respondents saw 30% opposed to sports betting being allowed in the state whereas 17% didn’t feel inclined to vote either way.
