New Jersey could "start taking bets on sporting events as soon as Saturday as state lawmakers rush to pass an updated bill -- and Gov. Phil Murphy signs it into law," according to Josh Kosman of the N.Y. POST. The new bill "does not contain any 'integrity fee' payable to sports leagues." An earlier version of the state Assembly bill "included an integrity fee" of $7.5M, or 2.5% from each bookmaker. Former New Jersey state Sen. Ray Lesniak said there is "no way" there will be an integrity fee. Lesniak in '08 "filed the first lawsuit against the sports leagues to allow sports betting" (N.Y. POST, 6/4). In Atlantic City, Ryan Loughlin reported the city's Resorts Casino Hotel will "team up with DraftKings as its licensing partner to bring sports betting to the 40-year-old casino." DraftKings will "utilize Resorts' gaming license in order to bring its sports book to Atlantic City." Plans are in place for a sports betting app, "as well as a web-based version" (ATLANCCITYWEEKLY.com, 6/1). DraftKings "hopes to debut its first offering" by the beginning of the NFL season (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/2).
MISSING OUT: In New Jersey, Stephen Edelson notes Delaware tomorrow is slated to start accepting legal sports bets, beating New Jersey "to the punch and be the first to take advantage" of the Supreme Court's recent decision. The "ultimate indictment" of the New Jersey state house dysfunction "would be if Monmouth Park is not accepting wagers from the locals this Friday as planned." That insures the track’s $2.5M William Hill Sports Book is "humming when a big crowd shows up Saturday on Belmont Stakes Day" (ASBURY PARK PRESS, 6/4).
WHY THE RUSH? A BUFFALO NEWS editorial states there is a "full-court press by lobbyists in Albany to have the Legislature come up with a bill to legalize sports betting in New York before the legislative session is scheduled to end this month." The editorial: "Why the rush?" There are 11 session days left "before the June 20 cutoff." Speed in "drafting a law for a topic as complex -- and potentially lucrative -- as sports betting would be counterproductive." There are "so many questions to iron out, such as who gets first crack at taking bets." One reason for "haste in Albany is the concern about competition from other states for betting dollars." Lawmakers "need to take the time to get this right." The editorial: "Don’t be rushed into an arbitrary deadline" (BUFFALO NEWS, 6/4).
