Senator Declan O’Scanlon made the following statement after successfully leading the effort to amend the sports betting bill to ensure that bets can commence this weekend and eliminate any potential delay or complication:

“Every now and then government works just as it should,” said O’Scanlon after the amended bill’s overwhelming passage. “This was one of those times.”

“We worked tirelessly to make our case that pulling the prohibitive language from the bill was the right thing to do. I’m happy to see that they acknowledged how critical it was to remove any punitive measures. I can’t thank Senator Sweeney and Speaker Coughlin enough for their open-mindedness and willingness to do the heavy lift to amend the bill.  They were really class acts in this effort.  This is a huge win for Monmouth Park, for Oceanport, for Monmouth County, sports enthusiasts and all state taxpayers.”

“Language in the original bill essentially prohibited any sports betting facility from opening until the bill was signed into law.  I realized that the language could lead to the bill being caught up in contentious budget negotiations – and delay commencement of wagering for weeks, or longer. In their first day taking wagers, Delaware reportedly received over $320,000 in bets! There is no reason for government to unnecessarily hold up revenue for New Jersey.”

“Removing the language, which had really already done its job, was the smart solution.  I made our case to the Senate President and the Speaker who both agreed. We worked together to bring our caucuses on board to secure the votes needed to make an emergency floor amendment and everything came together.  I couldn’t be more thrilled or thankful!  This is the type of honest, open-minded, cooperative effort that gives me hope we can get good things done in New Jersey government.”

“I applaud our legislative leadership on both sides of the aisle for finally helping to make sports betting a reality for New Jersey. I look forward to future successful, collaborative endeavors.”