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New Jersey Bets: Legalized Sports Wagering Comes To The Garden State
Las Vegas and Delaware officially have company as states that offer legalized sports betting.
At 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, New Jersey began taking wagers at Monmouth Park and the Borgata.
Jersey govenor Phil Murphy was first at the Monmouth Park window and placed two bets.
After Murphy got his action, the large crowd did its thing.
It didn't take long for the book to pay out, either, with someone winning a first-goal prop bet on today's Russia-Saudi Arabia World Cup match.
Meanwhile, over at the Borgata Hotel and Casino, NBA legend, Julius Erving was first to do the honors on the first bet. Dr. J. went with the Eagles to win the Super Bowl.
It is expected that West Virigina will have legalized sports betting by the end of June, with Mississippi not far behind.
Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.