Monmouth Park’s new operator intends to make the New Jersey horse racing track to be the first in the state to try to offer sports betting on professional and college sports.
While other tracks seem reluctant to begin implicating the state law that was passed back in May, Dennis Drazin, Monmouth’s new operator and the former executive director of the state Racing Commission, intends to have a go at it.
“We’re the only ones who appear willing to go forward right now,” Drazin told NorthJersey.comTuesday. “Everyone else wants to wait and see how it plays out.”
The state law signed by Governor Chris Christie back in May contradicts a 20-year-old federal ban of sports betting in all but four states.
“I’m not convinced that the NFL or the federal government will try and stop me, but we also have to anticipate that there may be an attempt for an injunction,” Drazin added. “If there is, though, my way of combating that would be to go right back at the NFL. It seems like they’re always talking about betting lines on football shows on TV, so the NFL is hypocritical about opposing legal sports betting here.”
Drazin also reported that he has been in contact with “several companies” that have experience in managing sportsbooks.