Aiming to spark interest and generate new revenue for horse racing and casino gaming, Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer has proposed bringing instant racing wagering to New Jersey.
Instant racing permits patrons to bet on previously-run races randomly selected from a video bank on special machines installed at casinos or racetrack facilities. Bettors would see statistics for the horses without any name or other indentifying information until after the wagering window has closed.
“Both racetrack and casino patrons want action, and instant racing will attract new interest in horse racing and gaming,” Dancer, R-Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex and Monmouth, said. “Blending historic races with the latest technology will put New Jersey on the cutting edge of the next generation of gaming.”
Dancer’s proposal, A-4132, would permit instant racing at racetracks, off-track wagering facilities and casinos. Any casino interested in the technology would be permitted to negotiate a partnership and share revenue with a racing facility.
“We have begun a new era of cooperation between horsemen and casinos,” Dancer said. “These two industries, which have been important parts of New Jersey’s heritage and economy, can find innovative ways that will benefit the bottom lines of both.”
Kentucky, one of the first states to take advantage of this cutting-edge method of energizing interest in horse racing, has generated $356 million in little more than a year. In June, Oregon became the fifth state to allow instant racing.
“We can increase revenue for casinos, horse tracks and the state, while exposing a new generation of fans to the excitement of horse racing,” Dancer said. “The innovative electronic instant racing machines are attracting younger, video-oriented people to the sport.”
The proposal has bipartisan support from Assembly Regulatory and Gaming Committee vice chairman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester.
(With files from New Jersey Assembly Republicans)