N.J. begins taking legal sports bets
OCEANPORT, N.J. — New Jersey’s governor bet that the New Jersey Devils will win the Stanley Cup, while basketball legend Julius Erving bet that Philadelphia’s football team will repeat as champions, placing the wagers Thursday, the day betting on professional sports became legal in the state.
The action took place at Monmouth Park, a racetrack in Oceanport near the Jersey shore, and at the Borgata, Atlantic City’s first casino to jump into the sports betting market since New Jersey won a Supreme Court case a month ago clearing the way for all 50 states to offer it should they choose.
At the track, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy placed $20 bets on Germany to win the World Cup soccer tournament, and his state’s Devils to win hockey’s Stanley Cup next season.
Thirty minutes later and 70 miles to the south, Erving, better known to Philadelphia 76ers fans as “Dr. J.,” put $5 on the Philadelphia Eagles to repeat as NFL champions. He made his bet at the Borgata at the same time New Jersey’s Democratic state Senate President Steve Sweeney put $200 on his beloved Green Bay Packers to win the Super Bowl at 10-1 odds.
New Jersey fought for eight years against a federal law that had limited sports betting to four states — Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon.
“We knew in our heads we were right, and we knew in our hearts we would win,” Murphy said. “We’ve got a lot of good times ahead.”
Al Pniewski, of Hazlet, N.J., took the day off from his warehouse job at a food service company to bet $100 on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the next Super Bowl, at 12-1 odds.
“My wife thinks I’m nuts for doing this,” he said. “This has been a long time coming. On college football Saturdays, me and my brother-in-law are gonna be here every weekend.”
Greg Visone, of Millburn, N.J., bet on Russia to prevail in its opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia.
Both Pniewski and Visone had previously placed bets with neighborhood bookies, as well as offshore internet sites. Both had gotten burned at least once dealing with the shady side of sports betting.