New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy provisionally barred the raffle bill recently that would have expanded charitable organizations’ capability to sell raffle tickets online based on various sporting events. The Governor barred the bill stating that the measure was too close to online gambling. Had the raffle bill been passed, it would have expanded a 2-year-old law allowing charitable groups and organizations to hold raffles at large sporting events that are held in the Garden State.
Since the outbreak has considerably impacted life as we knew it including people’s ability to attend live stadium games and sporting events in the state, legislators proposed expanding this law to allow people to buy tickets to such raffles online, regardless of whether they were in the stadium or not.
Although the governor did not sign the bill into law, he did send it back to legislators with recommended changes such as allowing stadium ruffles during instances of a health crisis such as what we are experiencing today during the pandemic. The governor also recommends that geolocation technology, the same kind that’s found in online casinos and sportsbooks in the state, be enforced. This will ensure that anyone wishing to make an online casino or sports wager is located physically within state lines.
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The Governor had this to say about the bill:
“I commend the bill’s sponsors for their recognition of a subtler aspect of the coronavirus pandemic and their efforts to support and restore the viability of the charitable fundraising conduit provided through raffles held during events at large sporting venues. “However, the bill does not limit the remote conduct of raffles to just during the public health emergency, and I do not see the rationale for extending indefinitely this expanded authorization, once the public health emergency has passed and stadiums are again filled with fans.”
The governor also recommended that winners of remote contests be required to pick up their winnings at the stadium or the headquarters of the charitable organization that’s sponsoring the raffle, which will ensure that the proper verifications are done. The body currently in charge of overseeing raffles in the state is the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission.
Sports events fuel the growth of the sports betting industry
As the legal framework continues to become more favorable towards sports betting, the gambling industry, especially in New Jersey continues to flourish. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, interests in the industry are at an all-time high. While the return of sports has definitely provided an uptick in overall betting volume, brick and mortar casino is also going strong.
Sportsbooks and casino operators continue to make strides in creating seamless user experiences, as well as creating partnerships with sports leagues. As restrictions of social distancing continue to ease, sports betting in New Jersey is also mushrooming, particularly seeing as live sports have now returned.
In total, sports betting has been legalized in some form in 24 states with more to follow in the coming months. Sports gambling as an industry is growing to become a multibillion-dollar industry that keeps advancing at an accelerated rate. However, the shutdown brought about by the outbreak occurred at the worst time imaginable for both punters, sports fans, and the carious gambling entities that rely on the industry to profit.
Estimates, such as those from the American Gambling Association, place the amount bet on the NCAA tournaments in the region of $8.5 billion, accounting for a much larger handle compared to the Super Bowl.
Since sports betting had already been legalized in several states at the start of the year, with extra books in both casinos and apps, experts believed that had the pandemic not put a hold on things, operators could have recorded the highest ever profits.
Instead, in the few weeks that followed, casinos and their corresponding sportsbooks remained closed off to the public. The pandemic had a negative impact on not just the sports that people wagered on but also on the casinos they wagered from. Sportsbooks and casino employees also lost their jobs in massive furloughs and retrenchments.
Things on the upswing as sports betting keeps growing in New Jersey
The sports betting industry has done the unimaginable. It is one of the only industries in the world that has thrived amidst a pandemic as we’ve discussed here. The return of sports only helped to further fuel the growth as is evidenced in New Jersey, which currently stands as the most successful sports betting market in the country.
The state of New Jersey keeps breaking record after record and September 2020 was no different. The sports betting handle for the month totaled $748.6 million in September, breaking August’s record of $668 million by more than $80 million. The highest ever betting handle ever recorded in Nevada was $614.1 million in November 2019. Since then, Jersey has taken over the crown from previous betting king Nevada.
New Jersey enjoys a lax registration system and process that makes it attractive to investors and operators. However, it is the high number of mobile sportsbooks in the state that has allowed the Garden State to keep leading the charge. Bettors in New Jersey can create accounts remotely, which makes it a lot easier for them to gamble on the move.
And it is not just New Jersey that’s enjoying good numbers. Other states are also recording impressive numbers. In particular, Iowa, West Virginia, New York, and Indiana have all demonstrated remarkable growth in the short period that sports betting has been legal in each of these states. For instance, Indiana recorded a sports betting handle of $207.45 million in September, commendably making it the leader of the Midwest betting segment of the United States.
Are you a New Jersey resident interested in playing online in our state and taking advantage of the best offers? Check out our curated list of NJ casinos, NJ sportsbooks, and online bonuses. And if you are a poker player, please check our list of Best Poker Sites in New Jersey.
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