Golden Nugget to accept bets on NBA games

The Governor of New Jersey has signed the bill that allows Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget to take bets on NBA games.

US.- Up until Friday, Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget was banned from offering bets on National Basketball Association (NBA) games. However, the state’s governor lifted the prohibition and signed a bill that allows the casino to take bets on NBA games.

The bill signed by Governor Phil Murphy allows anyone that owns 10% of more of a professional sports team to take bets on games within their league. However, betting on games involving their teams is still prohibited.

Tilman Fertitta, owner of the casino, also owns the NBA team Houston Rockets. This means that people at Golden Nugget Atlantic City are now able to bet on a sports event if Houston Rockets isn’t involved.

Now, the facility and its online partner BetAmerica can accept bets on NBA games that do not involve the Houston Rockets. This is the same scenario that Fertitta faces in Nevada, where the casino is prohibited from accepting bets on games involving his team.

Steve Scheinthal, general counsel for Landry’s Inc, —parent company of Golden Nugget—, said that they’re grateful and appreciative that people realised the prohibition was an overreaction. “It allows us to compete,” he said, according to ESPN. “It was like going into a boxing ring with one arm tied behind your back,” Scheinthal said. “You just can’t compete that way. It gave everyone a year’s head start on us.”