Lesniak to Legislators: Urge Congress to Make Sports Betting Legal

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

The following is a letter sent by Senator Raymond Lesniak to the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States and to the National Conference of State Legislatures. You can access the referenced New York Times article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/sp...yt&oref=slogin

Enclosed is a May 25, 2008 New York Times article reporting on the $150 billion illegal sports betting underground-market in the United States. It also notes that the "temptation for those seeking to influence the outcome of games has never been greater."

Restricting sports betting to Nevada and three other states has increased the possibility of fixing sporting events. It has also cost your states tens of millions of tax revenues now going into illegal hands. Regulated sports gambling can more easily track betting patterns and catch fixing attempts.

Your law enforcement dollars are also diverted from violent crimes, drug dealing and gang activity to illegal gambling.

None of this makes sense.

The time is now to tell your Congressional representatives to end the discrimination against your states and lift the ban on sports betting.

You can also urge your states to join New Jersey's soon to be filed legal challenge to the federal ban.

I welcome your support.

Posted by Senator Raymond Lesniak May 27, 2008 10:10AM
blog.nj.com
Tuesday May 27th, 2008