The Golden Nugget AC Could Soon Offer NBA Bets

• The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City has restrictions on what sports you can bet on.
• Lawmakers passed NJ A 5463 almost unanimously to help the Golden Nugget.
• NJ A 5463 is now heading to Governor Phil Murphy’s office.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – On Monday, New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill that will allow the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City to take bets on professional basketball.

The Situation

The Golden Nugget is one of the biggest casino brands in the country. You will find Golden Nugget Casinos in cities like Atlantic City or Las Vegas. Many casinos in Atlantic City have the ability to take bets on all sports. The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City also has a sportsbook available as well. But there is one restriction that only the Golden Nugget has.

Tilman Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget brand. Fertitta also happens to be the owner of the Houston Rockets. When legalized New Jersey sports betting started, lawmakers saw this as a conflict of interest. It was decided that although the Golden Nugget at AC could open a sportsbook, they cannot take bets on NBA games.

At first, it seemed fair. But revenue reports show that this puts the Golden Nugget at a huge disadvantage. Betting on professional basketball is extremely popular in New Jersey. Over $854 million was wagered on basketball within the last year. On the other hand, over $616 million was wagered on football within that same timeframe.

The Bill And What Will Happen

This means that the Golden Nugget AC is losing out on profits. In response, state lawmakers created NJ A 5463 to help fix this issue. This bill allows the Golden Nugget to take bets on professional basketball games. The only catch now is that the casino cannot take bets on Houston Rockets games.

Almost every single lawmaker felt like this was the right thing to do. In the assembly, NJ A 5463 passed unanimously with a vote of 76-0. In the Senate, the bill passed with a 26-1 vote. Only Sen. Mike Doherty voted against the bill. This means that the bill is now heading to Governor Phil Murphy for his signature.

Gov. Murphy will likely not veto the bill. After all, it was New Jersey that led the charge to repeal PASPA. If all goes well, the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City will have NBA odds before the upcoming season.

News tags: Atlantic City | Golden Nugget Atlantic City | Houston Rockets | Las Vegas | Mike Doherty | NBA | New Jersey | NJ A 5463 | PASPA | Phil Murphy