New Poll Shows Majority of New Jersey Residents Favor Sports Betting

by Donald Hanson • October 12, 2011 • Newsy Jersey, Sports & Leisure • Comments (0) • 1309

A new poll done by Fairleigh Dickinson University shows that a majority of New Jersey voters support making sports betting legal at Atlantic City casinos and the state’s racetracks, but few have even heard that the issue will be on the November ballot, a new poll shows.

I don’t think we needed a survey to figure this out and I don’t think that the law is stopping anyone from participating in various forms of sports betting.

However this survey was useful in bringing to light the fact that there is an upcoming vote on the subject.

71 percent said they have heard little or nothing about a November ballot referendum that will ask voters whether the state constitution should be amended to allow sports betting. In addition, 67 percent of those polled said they have little interest in the issue.

But even if the vote goes for allowing sports betting in New Jersey, it’s not that simple.

A federal ban on sports betting would have to be repealed by Congress or overturned by the courts to allow it to begin in New Jersey, even if the ballot question were approved by voters. Only Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana were exempted from the 1992 federal ban because they had some form of sports betting on the books before it took effect.

Article at Press of Atlantic City