NJ Residents Favor Legalized Sports Betting

A new poll finds a majority of Garden State residents are in favor of legalizing sports betting. But there are caveats.

By a 2-1 margin, folks told the Fairleigh Dickinson University’s “Public Mind” survey that they want to wager on professional sports in Atlantic City casinos:

“Sixty-three percent to 32 percent. Men were a little more likely to be in favor of legalizing sports betting than women. We also asked whether people would be willing to legalize sports betting at New Jersey horse racing tracks. We found the same result.”

But director Peter Woolley says that most — nearly three out of four people polled — say it wouldn’t be OK to allow gambling on games by phone or online:

“They think it’s good to go someplace and do it very deliberately — not sit at home and pick up the telephone on a whim.”

Pro leagues say that any sports wagering threatens the integrity of games. But the state senator among those suing the feds to overturn the ban says New Jersey is missing out on a lot of much-needed cash.