With struggling racetracks and casinos, there are now considerations for sports betting in New Jersey. The Garden State is seeking a new source of revenue, and the temptation to legalize the activity is a big one. The state has attempted to legalize wagers on sporting events in casinos several times since the 1990s, but all legal action has been overturned by the federal government.

Last month a federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled that a law endorsing the regulation and taxation of sports betting in New Jersey was unconstitutional and conflicted with federal law in a 2-1 decision. State officials are considering filing an appeal in an attempt to have the proposition reheard and retried, according to the North Jersey website.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind, a market research and public interest group, recently conducted a poll of 702 registered New Jersey voters and found that the number of people in favor of the State filing an appeal regarding the legalization of sports betting was nearly equal to those who believed no action should be taken until the federal ban itself is lifted, per North Jersey.

State officials, including Governor Chris Christie, are in favor of overturning the federal law against sports betting itself, as they feel that it is unconstitutional in the way it treats each state differently. Currently, the only states in which sports betting is legal are Delaware, Nevada, Oregon and Montana. As Atlantic City casinos and racetracks all around New Jersey endure financial strife, state officials see the possible legalization of sports betting as a great new source of tax revenue.