Former groom at Monmouth Park, NJ Racing Commission chairman, Freehold Raceway president, director of racing for NJSEA. RIP to a memorable man

SEVEN Years ago today - Sports betting came to Atlantic City. The first winning ticket in AC's history: An MLB YRFI. Here I am getting paid.😉

Basically just that it might be worth it to see if sweepstakes could be brought into the regulated and taxed world in NJ. Might not be realistic, but a couple of lawmakers seemed interested. Today is the day for many dozens of bills to be approved or tabled in Trenton.

NJ Assembly passes increase in online gambling taxes to 19.75% - but not solely along party lines. Vote was 45-33, while the Democratic majority is 52-28.

Not ADW

NJ Assembly passes sweepstakes gambling ban bill, 69-10-1, awaits Senate vote today

And now Senate agrees on a similar margin, 34-5. Will be law shortly

NJ Senate also passes online gaming tax increase, by a 25-14 vote along party lines. IGaming was 13% and mobile sports betting was 15% - now both will be 19.75%. Gov Murphy will sign bills into law shortly.

this is my first story for Jerseyvindicator.org, a general-interest NJ startup that seeks to help fill the news desert that the state has become. historically a gaming pioneer, in these "casino wars" NJ for once is being more passive: jerseyvindicator.org/2025/06/26/a-g… spread the word !

Bergen Record readers will recognize some familiar bylines. Some strong - and badly-needed - investigative reporting on that site !

So the NJ Senate bill to allow state-authorized lottery ticket couriers to add instant games to their menu disappeared sometime between approval by the Senate Budget Committee on Thursday and the final bill-passage frenzy on Monday. The vote had included some concerns

"Why is New Jersey agreeing to be the bouncer for recreational sportsbooks?” --Joe Brennan Jr New Jersey Lawmakers Declare War On Sports Betting Revenue ingame.com/new-jersey-law…

Owner of ex-Atlantic Club casino selling part of it, blasts 'corrupt' Atlantic City government: "Old school gangsters would stick a gun in your mouth and say 'Do this.' Today's gangsters put a pen in your face. They're just a little more educated about it."tinyurl.com/yn3nabxd

Context: PASPA made all sports betting outside of NV illegal. BUT NJ - the only other casino state at the time - was given 1 year to decide to add that amenity to its AC casinos. State politics yada yada yada no dice. Otherwise to this day, only NV/NJ would have sports betting

Almost everything about the saga - and I covered all of it - was odd. The only gambling operation wiling to go forward after the NJ state law was passed was the Jersey Shore Monmouth Park thoroughbred racetrack. A federal judge agreed that would cause “irreparable damage” 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yes, I was in Trenton for that hearing. The federal judge - whose brother was a former prominent NFL RB - ruled that sports organizations not even a party to the the lawsuit would suffer “irreparable harm” if a Jersey Shore racetrack offered the same bets already legal in NV. 🤷🏻‍♂️

let me know if they ever have a contest where the participants actually, you know, eat hot dogs like a normal person - no dunking buns in water & eating hot dog separately. this version is like watching basketball with no dribbling

The beach is back! As a matter of fact, Atlantic City's casinos are delighted to have a decent beach on July 4th for the first time in three years after a replenishment project. tinyurl.com/5cjwkmnk

Former U.S. Attorney for NJ Chris Christie had a plausible initial take - yes PASPA was on shaky ground (as Justice RBG once suggested), but SCOTUS will never take the case. But Monmouth Park operator Dennis Drazin & and state Sen. Ray Lesniak - both also attorneys - knew better

does anyone NOT know that this AI? no sentient being could make this error.