Judge halts sports betting in New Jersey

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking New Jersey from allowing its casinos and racetracks to operate sportsbooks without fear of prosecution, just two weeks after Governor Christie signed a sports wagering bill into law.

US District Judge Michael Shipp ruled in favour of a number of sports leagues, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the NFL and the NBA, who submitted court filings seeking a temporary injunction on the state’s plans last week.

Monmouth Park, which had planned to launch its William Hill US-powered sports book last Sunday, said it was “disappointed” with the decision, but was “confident” that sports betting would be fully legalised in New Jersey.

The injunction does not stop the state’s racetracks and casinos from taking wagers on other sports such as golf, tennis, boxing, MMA fighting, NASCAR and soccer.

“While we are disappointed not to be able to start this Sunday, we are confident that sports betting will be coming to New Jersey in the very near future,” Dennis Drazin, advisor to Darby Development, operators of Monmouth Park, said.

“We have prepared for this event for quite some time and have stated from the onset that we will be ready on day one. While that won’t be this Sunday, we remain committed to that promise and will be operational as soon as possible,” he added.

New Jersey now plans to fight the injunction, with Governor Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak saying in a statement that the state has “full confidence in the strength and appropriateness” of its position as it moves forward with the litigation.