Monmouth Park readies for sports betting after Christie ends N.J. ban

Now that Gov. Chris Christie has determined the state won’t enforce a ban on sports betting in New Jersey, one of the horse racing tracks that would be allowed to offer those bets is getting ready to accept them.

Professional and college sports officials are likely to mount a legal challenge to sports wagering in the Garden State, said Dennis Drazin, legal adviser for Monmouth Park Racetrack.

“I think that what will happen is that there will be some court decision that determines when we can go ahead with this,” he said Tuesday. “So, although I would like to start offering it this weekend, I think from a practical standpoint the courts are going to weigh in before anyone gets a chance to make a wager.”

Monmouth Park is installing the technology needed for sports betting, Drazin said.

“We’re pretty much set to go except for some of the technical aspects of setting up phone lines and things of that nature,” he said.

Unless there’s an injunction to prevent it, he anticipates the track will offer that wagering within 30 days — and perhaps as soon as a week or two.