Six year ago, long before the nation was weighing in on legalizing sports betting in other states besides Nevada, officials at Monmouth Park and William Hill were making plans to open a sportsbook at the iconic New Jersey racetrack. They turned the cafeteria into a sports bar with the intention of someday taking wagers on college and professional sports. Thursday, their gamble paid off, as they took their first legal sports bet.
The decision to set up a sportsbook long before betting was legal was a risky one.
In 2012, New Jersey lawmakers were attempting to strategically file lawsuits in state and federal courts to challenge the prohibition that they believed was hurting the state’s gaming industry. Their efforts faced immediate resistance from the NCAA, NFL, NHL, NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball. The fight ultimately would take nearly five years and cost $9 million in legal fees.
Undeterred by the courtroom setbacks along the way, Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill’s US operations, signed a deal with the racetrack to be their official sportsbook.
“One day sports betting will be legal in New Jersey,’” Asher said in May 2013. “When it is, William Hill will be there.”
The sign “William Hill Race & Sports Bar” was just past the track’s entrance and signaled the optimism. The pub showed sporting events, but couldn’t take wagers on them.
Trusting the Process
Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Monmouth Park operators Darby Development, was eager to open the sportsbook, even though he knew he couldn’t take bets without violating the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) — the 1992 law that gave Nevada’s casino business a clear advantage over other states.
In 2012, New Jersey voters passed a referendum, by a 2-1 margin, approving sports betting in the state’s racetracks and casinos. With this nod from the citizenry, state lawmakers were ready to get on board, too.
Still, Drazin waited, telling NJ Advance Media that it wasn’t an easy decision.
“I’ve said from Day 1 that although legally I felt we had the right to open that I was going to cooperate with the governor, the senate president and the speaker,” Drazin said. “They preferred we had a law in place before any sports book opened, and I support our legislature and our leadership. And, although I would’ve loved to take bets, they determined this is the way they wanted to do business and I’ve been on board with it.”
Ready to Build
When the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Christie v. NCAA et. al, in December 2017, Drazin told NJ Advance Media that they started updating the $2.5 million facility.
“After the arguments in December we were so confident that we spent $1 million-plus re-doing the grandstand in the area outside the William Hill sports bar,” Drazin said.
“William Hill has been very supportive of us. Because of the deals we made with them, it didn’t cost (the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association) anything. William Hill advanced the funds, and got it started.”
When Court announced the decision on May 14 overturning PASPA, Drazin told reporters it was a long time coming, but he never lost faith the state would win.
“It’s survival,” Drazin said. “It’s a historic case for the country, but for all of us here in New Jersey, it’s the survival of an industry that was threatened and depressed. “Despite all those who kind of felt it was like Don Quixote tilting at windmills, we have won. There has come a day when Goliath is defeated by David. We’re at a point where this is history in the United States.”
