by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Columbus, OH —- Legislation that would allow racetracks and casinos in New Jersey to accept wagers on sporting events will go before an Assembly panel this week.

According to an Associated Press report, if the measure is approved, it would allow gamblers to make bets in person or via telephone or the Internet. However, wagers wouldn’t be allowed on college games that take place in the Garden State or involve a New Jersey college team, regardless of where the game was played.

Approval by the state legislature would only be the first step in the process. Voters would also have to amend the state constitution to permit such wagering and New Jersey would also need a legal victory in a federal lawsuit filed in 2009 by a state senator that seeks to overturn a federal ban on sports betting in New Jersey and 45 other states.