Monmouth Park Cheers Sports Betting Decision

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By Chris Rotolo |
OCEANPORT – Following seven years of legal battles the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) announced its decision on Monday morning that Monmouth Park Racetrack had won its right to sports betting, a decision that ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) as unconstitutional.
“We started this fight back in 2012 and are grateful that the Supreme Court has recognized that we’ve been right all along,” said Dennis Drazin, the chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, in a statement released shortly after the announcement.
Drazin spent the better part of a decade entangled in this fight to preserve the future of Monmouth Park. He has expressed confidence in interviews and at the racetrack’s annual opening luncheon Wedneday that victory was assured.
With that notion in mind, Drazin revealed that Monmouth Park had already expanded the first floor gaming area of the grandstand at the William Hill Race & Sports Bar.
Oceanport Borough Council President Joe Irace believes sports wagering at the racetrack is approaching quickly.
“I understand that they already have wagering machines on site, the grandstand has been redone, and I believe they’re in a position to be accepting wagers within the next two weeks,” Irace said Monday.
Oceanport Mayor Jay Coffey said this decision has solidified the future of a Jersey Shore institution in an era when the health of the horse racing industry is uncertain.
“The racetrack industry is not a standalone industry anymore,” Coffey said. “This is the first step in a multi-step journey that will allow for other types of revenues to come to Monmouth Park…And it’s a win for all of us. Because the better they do, the better it is for Oceanport.”
There is more to come on this developing story as Drazin is expected to speak today at a 1 p.m. press conference at the William Hill Race & Sports Bar in Oceanport.