SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2460

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 9, 2014

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2460.

      This bill concerns wagering on any professional, collegiate, or amateur sport contest or athletic event at certain casinos and racetracks.

      Specifically, section 1 of this bill partially repeals certain provisions of law and any rules and regulations that may require or authorize a State agency to license, authorize, permit or take action to allow a person to engage in the placement or acceptance of any wager on any professional, collegiate, or amateur sport contest or athletic event or that prohibit participation in or operation of a pool that accepts such wagers to the extent they apply at a casino or gambling house operating in this State in Atlantic City or at a running or harness horse racetrack in this State, to the placement and acceptance of wagers on professional, collegiate, or amateur sport contests or athletic events by persons 21 years of age or older situated at such location, or to the operation of a wagering pool that accepts such wagers from persons 21 years of age or older situated at such location, provided that the operator of the casino, gambling house, or running or harness horse racetrack consents to the wagering or operation.  Under the bill, a “collegiate sport contest or athletic event” shall not include a collegiate sport contest or collegiate athletic event that takes place in New Jersey or a sport contest or athletic event in which any New Jersey college team participates regardless of where the event takes place; and “running or harness horse racetrack” means the physical facility where a horse race meeting with parimutuel wagering is conducted and includes any former racetrack where such a meeting was conducted within 15 years prior to the effective date of this bill, excluding premises other than those where the racecourse itself was located.

      Section 2 sets forth the intent of the bill and the construction that shall be applied to its provisions.

      Section 3 amends the “Casino Control Act” so that the operation of a sports pool is no longer included in the definition of “gross revenue” that otherwise applies to a casino licensee’s gaming operations.

      Section 4 is a severability clause.

      Section 5 repeals chapter 12A of Title 5 of the Revised Statutes, that allowed casinos in Atlantic City and racetracks in this State to conduct wagering on professional and college sporting events and provided for the State regulation and taxation thereof.

      This bill is in response to the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Governor of New Jersey, 730 F.3d 208 (3d Cir. 2013),  dated September 17, 2013.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified for a Fiscal Note.